Sooner Or Later
by Lynnth2014
Summary: After years of abuse, Carol finally has mustered up enough courage to try and leave Ed. She went to the only place she could: a woman's shelter. She meets a man who shows her kindness she hasn't had from a man in many years, and with some coaxing, he may just help to save her and her little girl from a future of pain and regret.
1. Crescent Moon

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

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Carol glanced back for the hundredth time since she and Sophia had stepped off the bus. She didn't like this. She didn't trust this. She kept waiting for him to appear with every step she took. She could see his face, those hate-filled eyes just searing into her, blaming her for many things. She wasn't even sure what she had done most days.

Sophia was hugging her doll close to her chest, very pale and silent in front of her mother. She didn't like this place. She didn't like the other place either. She never wanted to call it home. Home was where you were supposed to be safe, where you're supposed to be able to laugh and to be happy and be yourself. That place wasn't home. It was a nightmare that she and her mother had to live through. She used to hope she would wake up one day, and it'd all be better. Her mom would smile, and it would be a real smile, and everything would be all right. She was only ten, soon to be eleven, but she knew that her dream would never happen. It was just a child's wishful thinking.

Carol wouldn't—or maybe just couldn't—meet anyone's eyes, worrying they might recognize her, tell Ed where she was, and he would come and drag them back. She had to be strong for once. She had to put Sophia first. She was going to get away from him. This would work. It would. Inhaling deeply, she moved her arms from around her daughter's small shoulders and rubbed her arms, but only briefly. She was fearful. She felt that if she didn't keep a hand on Sophia that Ed would swoop in and take her little girl away from her forever. She couldn't bear to lose her baby girl; Sophia was all she had left in the world. That's why she was here. She could do this. She could.

A woman with short brown hair showed them where they would be staying. She was very kind, as were her compassionate green eyes—full of genuine warmth and concern. She gave Sophia a green lollypop, making her smile a little, and it made Carol smile, loosening the knots in the pit of her stomach only slightly. The young woman held the door open to their room, Sophia stuck her head in and smiled at the bunk beds. She hurried over to them and climbing up to the top bunk, giggling softly at the sight of a couple stuffed animals by the pillow—Dad hardly let her have any toys. She'd always liked a bunk bed. She even wanted some for her room once a long time ago, but...Dad never approved. Her friends...had bunk beds.

"Let me know if you need anything," the young woman told them, smiling softly.

"Thank you." Carol held their bag closer, even though there was nothing of value inside. "Thank you so much, miss."

"Please, call me Maggie." She stepped back. "Have a good night's rest. You look like you need it."

Carol nodded. "Sophia, what do you say?"

"Thank you, Ms. Maggie." She smiled around the stick of the lollypop. Her mom taught her to always smile when she gave thanks.

"I'll see you two in the morning. Um, the bathroom is right down the hall to the left." Carol nodded again. "And if you need anything later on tonight, say after one or two, just let Jeanette know. She'll get it for you. Or try to."

"We won't be any trouble," she assured Maggie.

"And you aren't by askin'." She set her hand on the doorknob. "I'll leave y'all to it. Good night." She pulled the door closed behind her.

Exhaling deeply a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, Carol looked over the small room. There was a little desk, a metal chair, a small lamp with a red lampshade and a book on childhood abuse that made the lump in her throat swell; the bunk beds were decorated with green and pink—a green stripped pillowcase, a solid green pillowcase, a pink blanket. It was cute. It was even comfortable according to Sophia. It was also safe. For now.

"Here, honey, change into your nightclothes." She set the bag down on the desk and unzipped it, pulling out the pale pink pajamas with the cherry blossoms design on them.

Sophia climbed down and took them, tossing them onto the bed to kick off her tennis shoes, which were too big for her anyhow. "Are we staying here long?" She glanced up at her mom as she unbuttoned her jeans.

"I don't know, baby." Her eyes were locked on the book beside the bag, and she reached over and turned it onto its front so she couldn't see the title anymore. "Just get changed and get some sleep, okay?" She looked over her shoulder as Sophia finished buttoning her nightshirt. She offered her daughter a reassuring smile then glanced into the bag at her own nightclothes. She wasn't going to be sleeping tonight. She was too terrified to sleep, but she wasn't going to let Sophia go without sleep.

Sophia folded her jeans and t-shirt. "Here, Mom."

"Get into bed." She accepted the clothes and placed them into the bag. "Do you have to use the bathroom or anything first?"

She pressed her lips together. "No, I'm good. Can I brush my teeth?"

"We didn't bring toothbrushes or toothpaste."

"Oh. Okay." She sighed a little. She always brushed her teeth before bed and in the morning. "I'll just say my prayers then."

Carol refolded Sophia's clothes as she prayed, trying not to overhear what her daughter was saying in an effective hushed tone, but she could still make out most of what was being whispered due to small room. She had to close her eyes to keep from crying at "Please, don't let him find us. Don't let him hurt Mom anymore. Let us have a new start." She had no words to express how those few words dug into her. She could hardly breathe for a minute, but luckily Sophia finished.

"Okay then. Good night, Mom." She kissed her mom's cheek then climbed into bed, crawling under the soft, warm blankets and cuddling her doll close to her chest.

"I'll be right back, baby."

She shot up. "Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom. I'll be right back." She gave the young girl a small smile.

Sophia nodded and lied back down on her back, eyes on the door as her mom walked out. She didn't like the dark. No, it wasn't that. She didn't like what was _in_ the dark. She was scared her dad would be in the dark, waiting for her and her mom. She didn't want him to show up here and hurt her mom anymore. If she were bigger or stronger, she would put a stop to it. She would stand up to him. She would be strong for her mom and stop him...but she wasn't. And that sucked more than anything.

Carol pulled the bathroom door closed behind her, sliding down the door and collapsing into a heap on the floor, her hand over her mouth. She never wanted those words to come out of her daughter's mouth. She always tried her very best to hide Ed's abuse, and she always tried so hard to ensure Sophia had a normal childhood, but she had been failing at that. She was still failing at that. What kind of life could she prove for her baby girl? She had no education passed a high school diploma, and she had no skills, because Ed never let her have a job. She only had one back in school, because she had to pay for gas. She was forty years old and that girl felt as if she existed practically a lifetime ago. Or possibly never. She didn't even know what she could do or what she wanted to do other than escape Ed and raise her daughter right.

She curled up against the door, her arms around her knees, the sobs that shook through her body left her breathless, left her throat sore. She didn't know what she was going to do tomorrow. She had nothing: no money, no car, no one to turn to. She was completely alone like Ed wanted her to be. She had a sister, but they weren't on good terms. Karen had been related to Carol by marriage since they were about six years old, and they had always been close, but Karen never liked Ed. She always hated him, especially when he would grab Carol or spoke to her a condescending way. The few hours before they were married, Karen sat there and begged Carol not to marry him. She offered Carol a home and a good future, but she was too scared of being alone. She knew nobody else would want her worthless, fat ass, so she just...settled. After Sophia was born, Karen tried to be in her life again, just for Sophia's sake, but she couldn't bear to see Carol's busted lip or bruised ribs and face, or hear yet another shitty excuse as to why she had those injuries. Eventually, she stopped coming by, and every year Sophia received a birthday card, a Christmas card, Valentines day card and even a Halloween card from Karen, Tyreese and her baby cousin Madison. If Carol called now... Well, there wasn't a chance in hell Karen would pick up.

She snuffled and heard a _clunk_! noise from one of the stalls. She wiped her eyes, trying to clear her vision, and she heard a man let out a sigh. She scrambled to her feet immediately, fear crippling her, and she stood there with wide, teary eyes, heart pounding. _Oh, God. Who was there?_

Daryl Dixon, who hid at the sound of someone entering the bathroom in tears, cursed mentally when the candy bar he'd bought for lunch and never ate slipped out of his jacket. He had been the janitor there for about two years now, and they treated him well enough for a Dixon. They understood his circumstances, and they paid him well enough. He didn't need much, and he grew up with nothing, so it was enough. He had a day job, but he hated it. It was almost ironic; his place was a pit, but he cleaned for a living. He was cleaning the bathroom after one of the little girls got sick, and he'd heard someone enter. He automatically stepped into the stall to avoid an awkward situation, but the woman started to cry really hard. He didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable or upset, so he hid. He hated to hear these woman cry, and he heard them cry often, but this woman—the power of her sobs tore into him. And he'd been caught. Son of a bitch. He just made this a thousand times worse. Jesus Christ, he should've just let his presence be known.

He waited a minute, hoping he would somehow find the courage to step out and apologize, but it only make him want to barricade the damn door and never ever leave. When the woman made no sound of leaving, he exhaled inaudibly and walked out of the stall, swiping his candy bar on the way. He scratched the back of his head and lifted his gaze the to the woman, trying to find words to explain himself. He really had none.

Carol eyed the man when he finally emerged from the stall, her entire body exhaling in relief that it wasn't Ed or someone Ed knew, but she was still a little scare. Who was this man? Why was in the restroom at this time of night? She ran her eyes over him in the dim light the moon provided. He was tall, well-built with unruly dark hair that practically touched his broad shoulders, but that was about all she could make out. She didn't know what to say to him, but she wiped quickly at her face, not wanting him to see her like this. Ed didn't approve of tears.

Daryl chewed his bottom lip, taking in a good look of the small woman at the door. She had really short hair like a handful of the women here—some had no hair, a small few had longer hair, guess it depended on the man. The woman weighed probably a hundred pounds wet, and she wore a tan pants and a shirt that was too old for her. Hell, he'd never even seen a shirt like that in real life, not even in the store. Where the hell did her asshole husband find that ugly ass thing? His grandmother's closet or a trash can? Christ. He really must have lacked in the looks department otherwise he wouldn't have made her severally unattractive. He kicked himself mentally. He didn't want to do that. He didn't want to be that type of man. He didn't even know what she looked like, not really. For all he knew, she was beautiful. He was no catch himself...

Minutes literally passed as the silence went on, Carol shifted, fingers knotting as she grasped for words, and Daryl just chewed his lip, holding the candy bar. Finally, Daryl spoke.

"Sorry 'bout this," he murmured, gesturing to the room vaguely with the candy bar.

"No, it was my fault. I wasn't..." she trailed off as he shook his head.

"You don't gotta think like that here," he said. "It's on me. I just...didn't wanna embarrass you. Shit, I did worse than that. I'm just real sorry." He cleared his throat then walked by her, stopping before he walked out. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a red bandana and offered it to her, to dry her tears. "Here."

"Oh, no. I'm fine," she insisted. "Really."

He didn't pull his hand back. "Take it."

She swallowed and accepted the bandana, a few tears falling free. "Thank you... I'm sorry, I don't know what to call you."

"Daryl."

"Daryl...?"

"Just Daryl."

She sniffed. "Then thank you, Daryl."

He gave a nod and exited the bathroom, heading down to the supply closet to grab a few things before he moved into the lobby to clean.

Carol looked at the red bandana that had obviously been worn down from years of use and probably meant a lot to the mysterious man who was mostly likely the janitor. She hoped he was janitor. She let out a small, sad laugh as a burning sensation across her cheeks and nose. She smiled to herself, gently folding the bandana, and she took a deep, calming breath. She'd been gone for too long. She needed to check on Sophia.

That was probably the first and only time a man who wasn't her father given her something just out of kindness. She wouldn't forget that, and she would get this back to him before... before what? Before she went crawling back to Ed? Before she somehow found a way to survive on without any help? Unfortunately, it would probably be Ed. She was just too scared of being alone, it seemed. Sophia was the light of her light, but she was just a child. It was different. There were things she was too young to understand, and financially...

She didn't have the energy for these thoughts. She just needed to sit down. Opening the bathroom door, she headed back to her room and found Sophia passed out on the top bunk, snug and warm. She smiled at the sight of it and set the bandana down on the desk, giving it a pat. She moved over to the window and peered out, seeing the moon. It was a crescent moon. Sophia called crescent moons "God's thumbnail". It was peaceful and beautifully bright, even for such a small portion. If only she could be as calming and radiant as that small sliver of moon.

She glanced over at Sophia again and wrapped her arms around herself. God, could she really just crawl right back to Ed? Was there nothing else? No one else? Her eyes filled with tears, and she began to pray. That's all she ever did anymore. She had to pray. Without God, who else could she turn to?


	2. Chips Ahoy!

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

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"Mom?" Sophia shook her, and Carol jumped, nearly falling out of the chair. "Sorry!"

"What is it?" She blinked a few times and saw the sun was up. "What time is it?"

"It's noon exactly." She pointed to her watch. "Maggie said to let you sleep, but I know you don't like to sleep passed one, so I woke you up."

"Maggie?" Carol ran a hand over her eyes. "When did Maggie come here?"

"At ten. I was already awake, so I helped her with some shredding." She sat down on the bed. "Did you sleep good?"

Carol hadn't slept well in years. "Yeah." She rubbed her neck. "I slept fine. How did you sleep?"

"Great! That mattress is really comfortable." She smiled. "Are you hungry?"

"Are you?" Carol stood up. "Have you eaten today?"

She nodded. "You need to eat too."

"I'm good." She stood up. "C'mon, let's go politely ask for two toothbrushes."

"Mmm'kay. I know where Jeanette is."

They left the room, heading down the hall to the office where Jeanette and Maggie were, and Carol saw a few of the other women and their kids. She, even though they were all so alike, had to avert her eyes. She wasn't disgusted by them. They were truly brave, brave in a way she could never be. She always thought she would be a strong person. Perhaps not physically, but mentally and emotionally. She thought she would be doing something really good with her life. She didn't know exactly what, but not this. She never imagined this for herself. A housewife, not even that. She was less than just a housewife. She was a shackled, abused slightly glorified maid who was—

"Hey, you're awake!" Maggie beamed. "Hey, Sophia."

"Hi." She smiled back.

"Have you come to help me shred 'cause I'm about to head back into my office, or do you need something?" She was looking at Carol, but Carol didn't say anything. "Don't be shy. I know it's hard, seeking]' safety in other people who are practically strangers and have no real reason to keep you safe, but trust me, _here_you are safe. Both of you."

Carol just pulled out one of her many fake smiles; she'd perfected each and every one over the years. "I'm just...forgetful. Um, I was wondering—if it wouldn't be too much trouble, of course—could we have two toothbrushes, please? Perhaps some toothpaste as well?"

"Of course, you can." She waved them back as she turned on her heel and guided them to the supply closet. "Jacqui—one of founders—makes a pack of supplies for each...um, person that stays." She unlocked the closet. "Depending on the person and how many kids they have or if they don't have kids, they get different packs. Since you have Sophia, you'll get...one of...these." She reached up and pulled down a blue backpack. "It has toothbrushes, toothpaste, hairbrushes, a few small bottles of shampoo and conditioner." She pressed her lips in thought. "Umm, floss, and some other things too. I haven't made one of these in a long time; my brother Shawn does them now mostly, so you may find some surprises. Shawn's the weird one in the family."

"Oh, we don't need all of that—"

"Nonsense! Here." She all but chucked it at Carol. "Really, you're welcome to stay as long as you want, and if you're hungry or need any vitamins or anything, let me know. I keep a few bucks stashed away for stuff like this—but we don't permit drugs here. If we find drugs or drug paraphernalia, we have to remove you from the property."

"Mom doesn't even like cigars or anything like that," Sophia assured her.

"I forget to mention it sometimes." She shook her head. "I'm supposed to, so I did. I trust you both, though, but I'll keep my eye on you."

Sophia smiled.

"That is a kind offer, but I don't need anything. We'll be fine." She gripped the backpack. "We're actually leaving soon."

"We are?" Sophia frowned. "Where are we going?"

"Well, that's good." Maggie crossed her arms. "Movin' on with your life after...an experience like yours is really great. Let me know where you've settled down; I make a really good coffee cake."

Carol didn't say anything, just weakly smiled and gripped Sophia's hand, practically hauling her out of the room. They returned to the room where they were staying, Carol looked through the bag, and Sophia stood beside her, glaring daggers with her arms across her chest. Carol felt a little strange, but she couldn't focus on it right now. She found the toothbrushes and tube of toothpaste, setting them on the table, and she glanced at her daughter.

"What's with that look?"

"We're leaving soon?" She frowned. "Are we going to Karen's?" Sophia knew they weren't, but she wanted to hear the words come out of her mother's mouth. She wanted her mom to hear her own words and make her realize how stupid she was being. Sophia loved her mom very much, but if she had to watch Ed hit her or hear her mother cry out in pain through the walls, she was going...going to kill him! She wasn't strong. She was small, but she could still do something, like call the police or stab him with a knife. She didn't want to go back there. She really liked it here. Ms. Maggie was really nice too. Why did they have to leave? She told them it was fine for them to stay, so why?

"No, silly, we're going home."

"Home?" Her brows rose. "Home? Where is that, 'cause I honestly don't know where home is."

"Sophia, you know exactly where home is."

"That's not home!" She stomped her foot. "Mom, that's a hell!"

"Sophia Peletier, you do not use that language!" Carol felt a wave of nausea wash over her, and she took a small breath, trying to make it pass. She needed to make Sophia understand. She had to make her understand. It was the only way. Living like this—staying in a shelter, utterly unable to provide for her daughter or herself—wasn't a life. With Ed, Sophia could go to college and have a future that was a million times better than this present. Carol would do anything to make sure that happened for Sophia. Anything. "Baby, please, just let me—"

"No! I don't want to go back! I don't!" Her eyes filled with tears. "I am not a Peletier! I am not! I am nothing like him! I don't wanna be like him!"

"Sophi—"

"NO!" she shouted, running out of the room at top speed.

"Sophia!" She hurried after her only to nearly crash into a wall. The world tilted, and she couldn't see properly. She felt cold sweat on the back of her neck, and she leaned against the wall, sucking in a fast breath, feeling saliva pool into her mouth. She swallowed and tried to shake it off. She had to get to Sophia. She didn't even know exactly where she went, so she needed to get over this head rush or whatever the hell this was and try to locate her. She might have gone to Maggie or Maggie may know where she went, either way, Maggie was her best bet.

She started down the hall again, her legs a little wobbly, but she had to find her daughter. She needed to explain how it was to her. It was going to be rough either way, but this way, Sophia had a really good chance. Carol could take it, and she would keep Sophia safe and fed and clothed. It would be fine. She would make it be fine.

"Hey, you okay?" Daryl set a bucket down and walked over to the woman who was pale and walking on shaky legs. "You needa sit down."

"No, I'm fine." She stumbled back into the wall. "Just a little clumsy."

"You're pale." He looked her over. "You eat today?"

She didn't say anything.

"How 'bout yesterday?"

She averted her eyes. She had made breakfast for Ed and Sophia that morning, but none for herself. She had taken Sophia out of school early yesterday with a packed bag, and they sat in the park for a few hours. Carol was trying to work up the courage to go to the shelter, and after a while, she just found herself on the bus with Sophia and a duffel bag. Sophia had eaten; Carol always made sure she had food and was in good health unlike herself. She often went without, and she was used to it, used to this—shaky legs, shaky hands, the feeling of sweat, feeling a sharp pain in her stomach. It would pass. They always did.

"Christ." He tried to steady her, but she jerked back. "Hey, it's all right, you just needa sit down. C'mon."

"No, I am fine. I need to find my daughter. She ran off."

"She probably went to Maggie's office. I'll go grab her, but you need to sit down."

"I can get my own daughter, thank you very much." Her tone was icy, and she didn't know she had that in her.

"Look, lady, you're about to collapse, so why don't you just sit down and catch your breath?" He tried to meet her eyes, but she kept looking away. "You'll either sit down or fall down."

She flinched at his tone and use of either then she nodded slightly. "Okay."

He frowned, not liking how her tone was scared and small. He didn't mean to make her flinch either. He just wanted her to stop being so damn stubborn. She was going to get herself hurt if she went wobbling about trying to find her little girl. Of all days, Maggie just had to ask him to come in and help and now there was a kid running around, upset, and her mom was a mess who could barely stand. Damn, next time he would just say no.

"Hang on." He grabbed the blanket out of the bucket and set it on the floor. "Don't do anythin' stupid."

She narrowed her eyes at him then gave him a nod. "Um...thank you. My daughter's name is Sophia. She has red hair, hazel eyes and she's...skinny, really skinny." Her tone was unsure. She didn't understand what he was doing, or why he was doing it. She didn't like that. What was he trying to get? He was being too kind to not expect something in return. She didn't want to owe anybody, and she sure as hell wasn't going to let him near Sophia alone. Sophia had been roaming this place all morning, so she probably found a good hiding spot. Hopefully good enough that he wouldn't find her. Carol knew her daughter, and if she heard her mom's voice, she would come out. She would wait for this to pass then find Maggie and then Sophia.

He waited until the woman was sitting down then he gave a nod and left to find her kid. He'd seen the little adventurer exploring this morning, and she'd found the cubby hole where he used to crawl inside of catch some shuteye. He was too big to fit in there anymore, but the kid was small, she'd fit right in like a glove. He knew it would take some bribing to get her out, so he stopped by the machines and bought a little leverage. Kids and candy, sadly worked well around here. Shit, maybe he just had a way with kids.

He shook his head, pushing that thought back. It wasn't about _her_; it was about getting this little girl feeling better and back to her mom. He made his way to the cubby hole and heard the soft sobbing and quick gasping intake of breath. He crouched down and peered through the crack, seeing her jeans and white blouse and red hair. He lightly knocked on the door, she gasped then covered her mouth with her hand, and he waited a moment. Unlike her mom, she spoke.

"Go away, please!" Her voice was soft and thick. She was really hurt by whatever happened between her and her mom.

"Okay, but you gotta talk to me for a minute."

"No, I don't."

"Well, see I got a dentist appointment 'bout one-thirty this afternoon," he told her, "and I gotta go soon, but I can't eat beforehand."

She wiped at her eyes. _Why was he telling her this?_

"And I got this _Chips Ahoy _and nothin' to do with 'em." He shook the bag by the crack so she could both see and hear it. "You like 'em?"

She did like them, but she was raised not to talk to strangers. "No, sir."

"All right, kid, we both know you like these, and we both know you ain't gonna come out 'cause you were taught not to talk to strangers." He opened the door and sat down, opening the bag. "We also know I ain't goin' to see a dentist."

She wiped her nose. "What do you want?" She pushed the small door open to remove the barrier between them.

"Your mama sent me." He held out the bag, and she stared at it. "Fine, I won't share then."

"No, wait." She reached into the bag and grabbed two quickly, making him smirk. "Thank you, sir."

"What has you upset?" He met her eyes.

She exhaled and shook her head, biting into a cookie. "I don't want to say."

"All right." He set the bag in between them, dug out a cookie and ate it. He rubbed his hands together as he chewed, chuckling softly to himself. When was the last time he had to do this?

"What's so funny?" She wiped crumbs off her jeans.

"It's nothin'."

"No, it's not." She scooted forward. "What is it?" She gasped and her hands flew up to her hair. "Do I have a spider in my hair? Or a web? Oh, my God!"

He laughed at her expression. "Nah, nothin' like that." He shrugged. "Just rememberin' someone who ain't here anymore."

"Who?" Her cheeks then flushed, and she looked away. "I'm sorry. That was rude."

"No, it's all right." He chewed his bottom lip. "You tell me why you're upset, and I'll tell you 'bout who I'm rememberin'. We got a deal?" He held his hand out.

She studied him, wanting to know how serious he was. She had met a lot of different men in her life—good ones, bad ones, lairs and do-gooders—and she wanted to know which one he was. He was handsome and had guarded eyes, but not like Ed's. They were guard to keep people from getting to close; Ed's were guarded to prevent people from figuring out what he was all about. This man had beautiful blue eyes that reminded her of the ocean, a nose that looked like it had probably been broken before, dark brown hair that almost touched his shoulders like hers, and he had...not a beard exactly, but it wasn't a mustache either. It looked good on him, though. He had a rough face, like he didn't want anyone to really see who he was, like her mom's, probably like her own face as well. He was genuine in his offer, so she stuck her hand out and shook his. "Deal."

"You first."

"My mom wants to go back to my dad." Her eyes were misty. "I don't want him to hurt her anymore! I want to stop him, but I can't! It's not fair that he can beat her up just 'cause he's bigger! I hate him so much, and I hate how scared of him I am!" She began to cry again. "He's so mean to her all the time, and he never gives her a break! I try to stay out of it, because I know that's what she wants, but I can't go back! I can't! I refuse!" She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "But I can't let Mom face him alone, that's even worse!"

He set a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, and she lifted her head, her light hazel eyes red and puffy. He clenched his jaw, seeing _her_ face in this little girl's face, and he tried not to. They weren't the same. They weren't. She was gone, and at this rate, Sophia may be gone too one day. He couldn't let that happen, but he had no power here. Her mom had made her mind up, and she didn't even like or trust or know him. She was just going to pack up and run back to that son of a bitch, because she was too scared of him or maybe too scared of being alone, he didn't know which, but it was one of them. He'd been there, and unfortunately, he'd been too late in bettering himself. He carried that with him every day, and he tried to not let anybody else go through what he went through, but he didn't know if her mom was ready to even consider leaving her husband permanently. It wasn't something you just decide, and then it's done. It can be decided, but you struggle with it every single day, always wondering, worrying. You can never recover who you were before, and the you you become is always changing, coping, but that someone always has that shadow of the past lingering, even if it was a microscopic shadow.

After a moment, Sophia stopped crying enough to speak, and she whispered in such a way that Daryl nearly went to wherever the hell she lived and clobbered her father, "I don't want to go back there, but I don't know what to do."

"C'mere." He took her hand and helped her out of the cubby hole, the bag of cookies long forgotten, and he flicked a spider off her shoulder before she noticed. "It'll be fine. I'll talk to your mom."

"You will?" She sniffed. "Why would you do that? You don't even know her or me."

"'Cause I've been you," he whispered. "My dad was the same as yours."

She swallowed. "I'm sorry."

"Me too."

She gave him a hug, he tensed immediately, but she didn't let him go. "Thank you for talking to me, sir."

"Name's Daryl, not sir." He set a hand on her back.

"I'm Sophia." She released him. "I guess you know that, 'cause my mom sent you, didn't she?"

He nodded. "Let's get back."

She heaved a sigh. "If I tell you something, will you not tell my mom? Or hate me?"

"Yeah."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

She held her hand up to him, pinkie out, and he snickered. "You said you promised. Pinkie promise."

"Christ." He shook his head and linked his pinkie with hers. "Fine."

"Say it."

"I—pinkie promise—not—to—tell." He was trying not to laugh, but he finished with a snort.

"Oh, ha ha." She crossed her arms. "Fine, I won't tell you."

He stopped snorting. "What is it?"

She paused for a moment then looked at him. "I think my mom's being stupid," she spoke so low, and he heard the hate in her tone. She loved her mom very much, and she hated to say that about her, but it was true. Wasn't it? She didn't like to have that thought, but she did. She didn't know what she hated more: going home or that thought. She hoped he could convince her mom to stay here or to leave her dad. She didn't know if he could do anything, but he had a better chance than she did. Her mom never listened to her.

"Let's get you back to your mom." He closed the door to the cubby hole and grabbed the bag of cookie. "Here, better you than the rats."

"You guys have rats?" She took the bag.

"No."

She giggled at how he looked away, and they walked back to where her mom was with Maggie, scolding her and giving her water and asking her what she wanted to eat. She was going to send her stepbrother to get it, and Carol was trying to make her stop making a fuss over her. It was nothing, but Maggie wasn't having any of it. She just told Shawn what to get and scolded Carol some more.

"Mom!" Sophia ran over to her. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm—"

"—not fine," Maggie finished. "Why didn't you eat somethin'? I know our food ain't the best, but it's good, and fillin' and healthy. Patricia makes sure of that."

"Can you please just stop?" Carol stood up. "I am fine, and I don't need someone half my age telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing. The bus is coming in half an hour, so tell your brother to stop. I'm leaving, and thank you for everything."

"What? Mom—"

"I'm afraid you can't leave just yet," Daryl interrupted Sophia. "Your little girl may have stolen somethin' from Maggie's office."

Sophia turned and stared at him with wide eyes. "What?!"

"She did?" Maggie crossed her arms then caught on. "Oh, well, I see. Come with me, young lady."

"Wait, no!" Carol moved in front of her daughter before Maggie could haul her off. "Sophia would never steal from anybody, I swear."

Daryl leaned over. "What's that?" He nodded his chin toward her pocket.

Sophia looked down at the tiny bulge in her front pocket, setting a hand over it, and she looked at Maggie and her mom, her lips parted as if she wanted to speak and defend herself. She had no idea what the heck was going on. She wanted to stay, but this was insane and stupid. She was going to get into so much trouble! Daryl wasn't helping anything. He was a jerk! Ugh, how could he do this? How did he even get this into her pocket without her feeling it? "I—I really don't—"

Maggie reached over and pulled out the chain, pulling out a silver heart locket. She recognized this. "This is Lori Grimes' locket. She left it here when she volunteered last week. This was in my office." She wondered how in the hell Daryl got this to frame Sophia to delay them from leaving. She would question him later, but until then she had to fake deal with Sophia. "I'm afraid I need to search your room and your bags. I need to make sure she hasn't taken anythin' else. Unless she wants to tell me exactly what she's taken right now in my office?"

"I—I—" She looked at her mom then at Maggie, unable to speak.

"Sophia?" Her eyes held such disappointment, and still Sophia didn't speak. She faced Maggie now and said, "You can search our belongings, if it pleases you, but I'd like to speak to my daughter."

"Well, I need to speak to her first." She moved in between them, set a hand on Sophia's shoulder blade and led her down the hall to her office to have a chat.

"Oh, God." Carol covered her face with her hands. She didn't know what to think. Sophia had stolen a locket from Maggie's office this morning. Why would she do that? Sophia knew better than that. She knew that stealing was wrong, and was a crime. Carol raised her better than that. Hadn't she? Maybe Carol was a terrible mother after all, and all of this was just God's way of showing her. She was such a screw up. She wanted Sophia to be better than her, but what example was she setting?

Daryl shifted uncomfortably beside Carol. "You okay?"

"No." She wiped her cheeks and crossed her arms. "No, I'm not okay." Her voice was sharp, but she didn't care. "My daughter stole from someone who was helping us. I thought... God."

"You thought?"

"It doesn't matter." She studied the tiles. "Are you going to check our belongings or Maggie?"

"Er, Maggie."

"May I, at least, lie down in the room? Or is that not allow, because I might get rid of whatever else Sophia's acquired?"

"You ain't allow in just yet." Damn, she was taking this harder than he thought. He should've come up with a better plan, but it just formed in his brain, so he did it. The locket's chain was extremely and almost ridiculously tangled up, and as Lori was going to try to come by and pick it up tomorrow, Jeanette asked him to untangle it and clean it up good. Lori helped out here a lot, offering guidance and some baked goods that were kind of lumpy and gross, but it was the thought that counted to most of the people here. She wasn't fond of Daryl as a person sometimes, and when she could stand to be around him, all she did was pity him, so he kept his space from her. That poor kid. She was so pale and confused. He should've thought that through.

"Where was she?" Carol didn't look at him. "It took you two a while to get her back."

"She was down in the basement. I saw her pokin' around down there, so I just figured that's where she went. She's nestled herself into a cubby hole."

"The basement..."

"Somethin' wrong?" He eyed her.

"You left your bandana with me." She started to look at his eyes, but she stopped short. "It's in our room on the desk, and you can get it from there. All I ask is that you leave me and my daughter alone."

He scoffed. "Will do." He grabbed the blanket, balled it up and stuffed it into the bucket, leaving without another word. He was going home. He'd had more than enough of this place for today. He had to come back in tomorrow night anyway.

––

"I didn't take it, I promise!" Sophia blurted after Maggie sat her down in the chair across from where Maggie was sitting, like in the principal's office at school. She didn't know what Daryl was planing, but she didn't want her mom to think she was a thief! She wasn't. She was going to kick Daryl in the shin so hard that he cried for this, because the look her mother gave her when Maggie pulled out the locket made Sophia want to die. He was so mean. Why would he do this? He was just getting them into trouble unnecessarily! That snake! Her mom would never forgive her for this. "I didn't, Ms. Maggie! I swear, I didn't!"

"I know you didn't, sweetheart." She set the locket down on the desk. "I just went along with what Mr. Dixon said."

"Mr. Dixon's lied! Why did I get dragged in here like a criminal, if he lied? He should be in trouble for lying! Mom always says lying is wrong, and that I should never lie, and..." She paused. "Wait, you're in on too?"

"Well, no, but I know you wouldn't steal from me." She shifted in her seat, crossing her legs. "I trust you, and I have to trust that Daryl did this for a good reason."

She shrugged, not wanting to lie and say "I hope so too".

"How are you feelin'?" She looked over the young girl's face, seeing the tear stains on her cheeks and the red in her eyes. "You've been cryin'. It's okay, you can tell me."

"I'm okay...now." She slouched in the chair. "I...was a little upset before, but I'm fine now."

"Fine like your mom?"

She sighed softly. "Can I just go back now?"

"Not yet."

Daryl walked in. "I ain't feelin' too well. I'm gonna go home."

"Oh? What's wrong?"

"I came in when I didn't have to," he reminded her. "I'll see y'all tomorrow night, and make sure Jeanette gets that locket. Took damn near forever to untangle it."

She nodded. Well, she knew Daryl wasn't a thief, and it made sense. Jeanette was Carl's babysitter for the longest time, and she and Lori were close even today. "I hope you feel better then."

He noted the glare Sophia gave him before she humphed, crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him. He didn't say anything to her, just turned on his heel and left the building.

––

Sophia sat on the top bunk that night, watching her mom pace the length of the desk, back and forth, forth and back. She hugged the doll closer to her chest as her mom ran her hand down her jaw, her breathing unsteady. She didn't know what was going on with her mom, but it was scaring her. When Maggie brought her back, her mom didn't say anything, and she still hadn't. Sophia was worried, but when she tried to ask, her mom just shook her head. She couldn't ask what was wrong, but she could pray. She closed her eyes and began to pray.

– – –

Sophia waited outside Maggie's office the next morning as her mom brushed her teeth, and she saw someone coming toward her from the corner of her eye. She turned to face them, her eyes narrowing to slits at the sight of Daryl—more like backstabbing—Dixon, and she crossed her arms over her chest, not wanting to talk to him. She hoped her stance told him that. She didn't want to be mean to him, even if he did get her in trouble, but she wasn't going to go out of her way to be nice to him.

"Hey." He stopped a foot away from he, offering her a nod.

"Hi." She still had manners, but she wouldn't forget what he did.

"Still piss—er, mad?"

"Duh! You made my mom really mad at me! She wouldn't even talk to me afterward, you jerk!" She unfolded her arms and shoved him lightly. "Why did you do that? She already doesn't trust my dad; I don't want her to think she can't trust me! I'm all she has!"

"You're right; the plan sucked, but it worked, didn't it? Y'all are still here."

She sighed and lost her glare. "Yes, we are." She tucked hair behind her ear. "Thank you. Sorta."

He smirked. "You're kinda welcome. How's she doin'?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "She _still_ won't talk to me. She's brushing her teeth, but...I think we're leaving today. I wanna talk to Ms. Maggie, try and delay our leaving again, but I don't know if it'll work."

"Lemme help—it'll be better than last time."

She met his eyes. "Why do you care?"

He averted his eyes then shook his head and reached into his jacket pocket, finding the gift he'd made for her. He held it out. "Here, just somethin' to keep you busy."

She gasped at the gift—the cutest, tiniest crossbow ever—but stopped before she reached out to accepted it. "Wait, why are you giving this to me?" It crossbow was handmade, and it might even work, thought definitely not the same way a real, properly-sized crossbow worked. It probably took him time to make, so why would he just hand it over to her? They'd talked only once, and he didn't know her all that well, so...why? "It clearly took you time to make so...why give it to me?"

"'Cause I got you into trouble with your ma, and... I just don't got a use for it."

Carol looked for Sophia. She'd been a too harsh after Maggie returned Sophia. It was Carol's fault. She had clearly made some errors as she raised her. She would have a talk to her and try to help her through this. Stealing may be the problem now, but it might shift into smoking or fighting when she's older. Carol didn't want that. She would just have to come up with a new way to teach Sophia stealing was wrong.

She spotted Sophia by Maggie's office, but it wasn't just Sophia. The man who had been in the bathroom with her and who had found Sophia yesterday when she ran off was with her, and he was crouched down along with Sophia, looking at something. She hurried over to them, finding them using some toy crossbow that was meant to be a gift to her daughter. "Excuse me!"

Daryl looked up, feeling Sophia take the crossbow from his fingers gently, loving the little thing, and he straightened up. "Yeah?"

"Come with me." Her heart was pounding as she led him away from her daughter, who was testing out the fully functional mini crossbow, and she wasn't going to back down.

"You look better," he told her. "Not as—"

"Stay away from her," Carol hissed, her hands trembling as she crossed her arms. She knew her voice was just as unsteady, and she forced herself to keep his gaze. She was going to keep her daughter safe from men like Ed and apparently like Daryl.

"Excuse me?" Daryl growled.

She swallowed hard, but didn't stop. "You're giving a ten-year-old a gift? A ten-year-old you don't even know in any way." She shook her head. "What do you expect her to give you in return? I won't—let anyone hurt her, so just stop!"

He clenched his jaw at her accusations and scoffed.

"Don't pretend like you're a "good guy". You're a Dixon, and they are anything but good men, so stay the hell away from my daughter or else."

"I ain't like that," he spat back at her, his eyes burning, his entire body seething with rage now. It took all he had not to blow up and go off on her. "I might be a Dixon, but I'm also a dad too, so you just shut the hell up! You don't know shit, you stupid bitch! You're the one who's gonna put her in danger by runnin' back to your asshole husband! Your **abusive,** **asshole** husband!"

She flinched slightly.

"Daryl!" Maggie ran over to them. "Daryl, just go. Go." She pushed on his arm, his eyes were locked on Carol's face, but he did turn and leave. She exhaled, relieved that he did, but she knew he wouldn't hurt Carol, not physically anyway. "Hey, you okay?"

"I—I'm sorry. I di—didn't mean to cause a scene."

"It's fine." Maggie had heard almost the entire argument, and she knew about Daryl's past, so she sided with him, but it was her job to side with the people here. Carol would probably be leaving soon, so she didn't need to be peacekeeper between her and Daryl. Good Lord knows she had to some days. That man could be biggest asshole, but he had a heart of gold. Maggie respected him more than he would ever know or want to know. "Sophia's gonna help me with some things, and I'll keep my eye on her, so why don't you just relax? We can talk a little later, if you'd like."

"Umm...relax?" She didn't know what that word meant anymore.

"Mmm-hmm." She stepped back. "Don't worry about Sophia, just think about yourself today. We'll talk later." She turned on her heel and walked over to Sophia. She guided her down the hall.

Carol glanced in the direction Daryl stormed off in_. I might be a Dixon, but I'm also a dad too, so you just shut the hell up! You don't know shit, you stupid bitch! You're the one who's gonna put her in danger by runnin' back to your asshole husband! Your __**abusive, **__**asshole**__ husband!_ She felt the tear roll down her cheek, and she quickly ran her hand under her eyes. He was truthfully cruel, but what choice did she have?


	3. Raindrops

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

––

Daryl rummaged through his fridge, finding some beers and a couple bottled waters. He opted for the beer, especially after the day he had. Tsh, stupid bitch. She had no idea what she was doing to that poor kid. Tsh, maybe she did and she didn't care. Maybe her concern was just bullshit. He'd seen women like her before, ones who blamed the kid for their dad or stepfather looking at them. It made him sick. Those women didn't deserve to be mothers, and those motherfuckers who claimed to be "dads" didn't deserve to be born.

He took a long drink from the beer and plopped down into the armchair, tossing the cap into the bowl in the center of his coffee table. His eyes lingered on it. It was a crappily crafted out of clay with lumps here and there and poorly shaped hearts and stars and leaves and flowers, and it was one hundred percent perfect. He wouldn't trade it for anything. It was all he had left of her. He was going to keep it in good condition.

With that thought, he reached over and pulled the cap out, looking at the beer in his hand. He stood up and poured it down the sink, setting the empty bottle and cap on the counter. He thought about what he told Sophia's mom, and he racked his hands through his hair. Her comments dug into him too, but he wasn't as...weak as she was. He had scars, but... Shit, he needed to apologize. She didn't know him, and if he was her, he might think the same. He didn't know her situation fully, and he just went off on a broken woman. He should've held back. She was just doing what she thought she had to do to keep her daughter safe.

He leaned against the counter and thought for a moment. He glanced over at the bowl then smirked. He had an idea.

––

"I hate the rain." Maggie tugged her coat closer as the storm outside grew worse.

"That reminds me of a movie," Sophia murmured. "'I like the rain. It keeps everyone in and washes everything clean'."

She chuckled once. "I've seen that movie."

"I don't remember what it's called. Mom would be mad if she knew I watched it." She shivered slightly. "My friend was watching it when I stayed the night once." Well, she didn't stay the whole night, just a few hours. Dad didn't like her spending time at her friends' house where he couldn't watch her every move, hear her every word and enjoy the fact that she wasn't ever going to have fun. What a jerk he'd always be.

"Are you cold?" Maggie had noticed the shiver.

"Mm-mmm. I can tolerate the cold pretty well." She leaned back. "What are we waiting for? Or who?"

"Daryl. He went to check on the emergency generator." She rubbed her arms. "This building's power not the most reliable in storms, and the basement floods too."

"Oh."

"If we have to, we can move everyone into one room, but I hope it doesn't come to that." People like their privacy, especially here. "If he doesn't hurry, I'm going to pee on myself. Ugh." The cold air that came in from under the door wasn't helping. Or the sound of rain! Gah! This building really was a piece of shit.

"I can wait for him," Sophia offered.

"No, I can wait." She pressed her thighs together. "So, how did you sleep last night?"

"All right. Mom was crying, and I couldn't sleep because of it. I wanted to talk to her, but...she wouldn't talk to me, even if I tried." She glanced at Maggie. "You won't tell her I said that, will you?"

She smiled. "Of course not." She groaned. "Oh, screw it. Watch for Daryl and let him in." She handed her the key and bolted from the room.

Sophia giggled and stuffed the keys into the pocket of her jeans. She walked over to the window and peered out, looking for signs of Daryl. She had heard what her mom said to him. She was wrong. Daryl would never hurt her. She could see kindness in his eyes, and she knew he was good guy, no matter what her mom thought. Her dad would've dragged her out of that cubby hole by her ankle while Daryl lured her out with cookies. He didn't have to be nice. He didn't have to spend money to lure her out, but he did, and he was. She trusted him. He was like her teacher, Mr. Horvath, and she loved Mr. Horvath. He was the best, and she hoped Daryl was too. She didn't know just yet.

She saw him running to the door, so she dug the keys out and unlocked the door, yanking it open as he ran inside. She closed the door and locked it. "You're soaking!" She tried not to laugh.

"'Cause I didn't already know that." He pushed hair out of his face. "Thanks for lettin' me in."

"You're welcome." She smiled. "You should change. You'll catch a cold."

"What, you don't wanna a hug?" he teased.

"No!" She squealed and jumped back. "Don't!"

He smirked, his chest aching in memory. "All right, that was a once-in-a-lifetime offer."

"It's not a loss." She smirked back. "I'll go tell Ms. Maggie you're back."

"Get the mop while you're at it, clean this up."

"Okay." She turned to walk away.

"I was kiddin'."

"I wasn't."

He scoffed a little. "Okay, fine, suit yourself."

"Try not to fall!" She disappeared down the hall.

He rolled his eyes and started for the basement. He kept an extra set of clothes down there in case of a pipe busting on him or one of the babies vomiting on him—stuff like that. He didn't interact with the kids a lot, but sometimes, he couldn't help himself. Some of the kids sought him out, wanting someone to play with, because their moms were too stressed or too sad. He usually just gave them a ball and let them find some other kid to play with, but as years went on, he began to play with them. He grew close to some of the kids, but as it was "temporary housing" he was only with them briefly. It was best that way. After his own daughter...

"Shit!" He slipped and busted his forehead on the doorframe, the skin catching on a nail. He cursed loudly. "Son of a bitch! Ah!" He felt blood on his brow. "God damn it!"

Carol had been trying to work up the courage to speak to Maggie about the offer she'd given her the previous day. Her father and Hershel Greene knew each other briefly, but their encounter had left an impression on him. Maggie, Shawn, and Beth knew of him, and they wanted to help her because of what her father did for Hershel. She wasn't sure of anything other than the fact that Ed would beat the shit out of her if she went home. She wasn't ready to be on her own just yet, but she had to try. They were good people, and they were doing a lot for her and Sophia, the least she could do was try.

"Fuck."

She looked up, seeing Daryl on the floor with blood on his brow, cursing like a sailor. She saw the trail of water he'd brought in, and she remembered Maggie mentioning someone going to check on the backup generator. She didn't fully trust Daryl, but she knew by the pain in his voice and the look in his eye when he went off on her yesterday that he had been through some dark times himself. And he also has made Sophia smile and laugh a little, so she decided to see if he needed help, even if it was hers.

"Are you all right?" She lowered herself down onto her knees beside him, looking at the cut.

He looked at her. "I'm fine."

"Mm-hmm. Do you often use such profanity with young children around when you're fine?"

He grumbled softly, but she didn't catch what he said.

She reached out, her hand a little shaky, and he noticed. "May I?"

"Sure."

She moved a little closer, setting her thumb gently on his cold, wet forehead, pulling his brow back to see the wound, and he groaned slightly. She picked up the washcloth she'd been wringing out in her hands for the past half hour that she had got to wipe the water from the windowsill off—which she never did, because she was too busy worrying about talking to Maggie—and she tenderly wiped at the blood. The cut wasn't too deep, and she doubted he had any serious injuries from it, although he groaned softly. "Does this hurt?" She then added, "The pressure, I mean."

"No, it's fine, just..." he dropped off, shrugging. He was going to find her before he left, and he was going to apologize to her. Everyone was different, and maybe she would leave her husband. He knew what men like her husband were like, and he didn't want that kid to grow up around him anymore than she already had. She was a good kid. She was smart. She looked a lot like her mom too, he realized then, having her face so close to his. They both had freckles, and he would guess she had the same red hair as her daughter had the stress of the abuse driven them gray, although some dark roots were appearing.

Carol frowned as he scrutinized her face, feeling very uncomfortable. She couldn't imagine what he was looking for. She wasn't attractive in anyway, so she probably had something on her face he didn't want to tell her about. She couldn't look at his face for long, and she felt really uneasy under his gaze, so she cleared her throat and spoke. "I should go speak with Maggie. I think you can manage."

He moved his hand over hers, she jerked her hand away, and he gave a nod. "Thanks."

"Thank you," she whispered, not elaborating. She stood up and started to leave when he called to her. "Yes?"

"I just..." He stood up and closed the space between them. "I just wanted to say I'm real sorry. About yesterday, I was an asshole."

"Don't be sorry." She hugged herself. "You should change. You'll catch a cold."

"Well, thanks for the aid..." He chuckled then. He heard her crying, helped her when she almost face-planted and then he yelled at her, nearly made her cry, and he didn't know what to call her. "I don't know your name."

"Carol. Carol Pel—Umm, just Carol, actually."

He nodded. "Thank you, Carol." He stuck his hand out, and she slowly—reluctantly—reached out and clasped his hand, shaking it firmly, like her father had taught when she met someone for a job interview. "Take care of your little girl." He gave her hand a squeeze.

"I will."

They released each others hand at the same time, he stepped back and headed down to the basement to get his dry clothes. Carol turned on her heel and headed to Maggie's office to accept her offer, and the storm outside grew worse, the rain so heavy nothing was visible.

– – –

"I need more towels!" Maggie called to Daryl and Shawn—who had arrived her after class to help. Beth was supposed to, but she was only fifteen and couldn't drive just yet, and Daddy didn't want her out in this weather. Maggie was glad Beth wasn't there now. This was ridiculous. "Hurry!"

Shawn ran over to the door with towels in tow, and he dropped down beside her, tucking them underneath the door. "We need to do some repairin'." He sighed and stuffed them more. "Here."

"This storm is just gettin' worse." She groaned and stood up, seeing the water and mud on her jeans. "Shit. Oh, well."

"We should move everyone now. We have some glow sticks the kids will enjoy." He rose. "Daryl's gonna come by with more towels in a while, so we should get movin'."

"With the generator, we can put on a movie to keep the kids calm." She crossed her arms. "Do you happen to have a movie?"

"Uhhh." He thought for a moment. "Oh! We have a season of some kid show that Beth left when she came here with you last week."

"Oh, yeah. You go get the projector, and I'll round everybody up."

Maggie went to the rooms and collected the few women and children inside, telling them to grab blankets and pillows while Shawn went to supply closet where they kept everything and dug out the projector then the season of whatever Beth had left here. Maggie made sure they kids weren't scared and asked if anyone wanted something warm to drink, because Patricia had made some hot coco as she always did when it rained.

Sophia dropped down beside her mom. "Mom, can I go help Patricia?"

"Sure, honey, just be careful."

She nodded and hopped up, meeting Patricia and Maggie. "She said I could."

"Great. Here, take these. Make sure everybody gets one." She handed her a plate of cookies. "I guess we'll have to tell Beth we ate her baked goods for that French movie club. I really don't want to bake anymore."

"Do you really think they'll eat them all?" Patricia asked.

"Eh." She shrugged a shoulder, filling another cup with hot coco. "I might. That time of the month plus sugar cookies? Do we have grease? I may not fit through the door by the time I'm done."

She laughed.

Sophia passed out the cookies to the already-hyper kids who were focusing on the movie or TV show Shawn was setting up, and she saw Daryl step into the room, leaning against the wall in the very back. She knew her mom didn't approve of him, and she didn't want to disrespect her mother, but she liked Daryl. She didn't like that he was a million miles away from the rest of them. It was sad, and it made her feel lonely. She marched over to him once she'd finished with the cookies, having only two left on the plate, and she smiled brightly at him.

"Hey, kid."

"Hey." She noticed the bandage over his brow. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good." He gestured to the plate. "Helpin' out?"

"Yes. Here, have one." She held up the plate.

"Ain't those for you and your ma?"

"Well, yeah, I guess, but I don't care. I want you to have mine. I kinda owe you anyhow. Please, take it." She looked at him with those big hazel eyes, and he averted his eyes, trying to tell her no, but she was adamant. "Daryl, please?"

_Daddy, please?_ He clenched his jaw at the similar tone. He tried not to think about her, but something about this little girl brought up memories of his little girl. He didn't want to think about her, not after what happened, but damn, this little girl was always around lately. He didn't mind, but he did when his memories overwhelmed him like they were now. He gently dismissed her by taking the cookie and taking a bit, giving her a nod to let her know she could leave.

"If you want, you can sit with me and my mom during the movie."

"I'm good, but thanks, kid. For the cookie too."

She nodded. "Enjoy your cookie then." She gave him another smile then delivered the last cookie to her mother before returning the plate to Maggie.

Carol sat in the corner of the room, the cookie her daughter had given her was resting in her hand, and she decided to just let Sophia have it. She wasn't in the mood for sweets. She was a little exhausted to be honest. She was going to slip out in a little while, but only after Sophia was either asleep or lost in the movie. Sophia had taken to some of the kids here, but Carol didn't know how much, so she would stay a little while longer. She wasn't fond of movies or the dark.

Sophia plopped down beside her mom. "You haven't eaten your cookie yet?"

"I don't want it. Here, you can have it, sweetie."

"But I want you to have it."

"And I want you to have it." She placed it into her daughter's hand. "Let's get comfortable before the movie starts."

"I think it's a TV show, but okay."

Everyone in the room settled down with hot coco and nestled in blankets as Maggie turned the lights off and the TV show began to play. Carol studied the ceiling as the colors changed, only hearing the voices, and she could hear Sophia giggling softly from time to time. It made her smile. Sophia rarely laughed with Ed around. This was a good. This was the right thing to do.

Freeing her hand from the blanket and then shifting on the blankets, she saw Daryl in the back corner, legs drawn in and his eyes were empty. He wasn't paying attention to the movie either. He was staring off into space, and she wondered for a moment what was occupying his thoughts. Possible how his weather was effecting his own child. She still couldn't believe he was a father. He was a good with Sophia, yes, but she didn't jump to father automatically. She wondered what type of father he was. He wore no ring, so the baby was born out of wedlock, and most likely stayed with his or her mother the majority of the time. He probably had weekends and every other holiday. She felt bad for him then. He probably didn't see his child very often.

After a while, Sophia passed out, and Carol tucked her in, placing a kiss to her forehead gently. She rose and slipped out of the room soundlessly and unnoticed. She could hear the rain pounding down on the building, and it was such a beautiful sound. She walked down the hall, her shoes a soft echo on the tiled floor, and she stopped by the front doors, seeing the storm raging on outside. She felt water seeping through her shoes, and she looked down to find a small puddle inside the building surrounding her feet. She didn't mind, but she still stepped back.

Her back bumped into someone's chest, and she turned around and found Daryl behind her. So much for enjoying the rain in silence. "I'm sorry." She stepped back further into the water.

"No, no, it's on me." He moved back. "C'mon, you shouldn't be in wet shoes. You'll just get sick."

"I don't have any other shoes. I'll just...change out of them before I lie down."

"We got some shoes in the back."

"I'm fine." She stepped out of the water, putting space between them. "I'll just head back."

"What're you doin' out here anyway?" he asked, curious.

"I just... I dunno." She hugged her arms, the wet slipping between her toes, and she repressed a shudder.

"You came here 'cause you just don't know?"

She wanted to smile, but she stopped herself. "I just...like the sound of rain." It reminded her of that first night alone with Sophia. Ed was away, because Sophia's crying was bothering him and he couldn't sleep, so it was just the two of them. It had started to rain as Carol finally managed to sooth Sophia. With the light that the moon created, the walls were painted with raindrops streaming down the glass, and the sound of gentle pinging was so peaceful and soothing. It was one of their better nights.

He gave a nod. "You should still change outta those shoes."

"I'll be fine." She didn't move, just glanced at him then opened her mouth but stopped. "I—I should get back to Sophia."

"Actually, Maggie sent me to get a couple of extra blankets. Would you mind givin' me a hand?"

"Um, sure." She knotted her fingers together, wanting to speak, and he eyed her, waiting for her to speak. "Could I get an extra one for me and Sophia, please? Mostly Sophia. She gets cold at night." She didn't have an body fat to keep her warm, so she needed blankets.

"That's fine. What's I'm gettin' 'em for." He motioned for her to follow as he started down the hall, giving a quick check in each room to make sure no water had seeped through the windows. He scratched his nose and glanced back to see if Carol was still following him. She was watching the floor rather than what was right in front of her, her fingers laced together as she picked at her thumbnail with her other thumbnail. He turned his attention back to the path in front of him.

They entered the supply closet, he flicked the light on, and they both groaned at the bright light. Daryl looked around for the big, black bag of winter blankets while Carol waited silently by the door, not entirely sure why she was there other than the fact that she wanted to help. She wasn't being helpful to him at all. She was just standing about while he had to dig through a lot of shit that Shawn and Beth had left about. Those kids were so damn messy and irresponsible. Half of this shit was flammable; they might as well set it on fire themselves instead of waiting for... He glanced over, having picked up on the murmur Carol had uttered so softly only the fact that he had good hearing allowed him to hear it.

"Hmm?" He looked up at her, meeting her eyes.

"I didn't—" she stopped, her eyes on the floor. She shook her head once. "N—never mind."

"No, go on. What were you gonna say?" He spotted the bag and lifted it up.

"Just...thank you." She gave him a smile. "For Sophia, and I am so sorry for the things that I said."

"You didn't know."

"Well...I'm still sorry." She then added, "I'm sure she's a lovely girl."

He paused for a moment. "How'd you know my kid's a girl?"

"Umm." She blushed horribly and averted her eyes. "The...umm...tattoo." She cleared her throat and gestured to his arm. With his sleeves rolled up as they were, the name of his little girl was easily spotted in the black ink with a small, white flower. It was cute, especially on him.

He glanced at it. "Yeah..." He handed her the bag. "There, take 'em back to the others. I'll be right behind you."

She stumbled slightly at the sudden weight. "All right." She started back to the cafeteria.

Daryl set a hand on the next bag, swiping his thumb across his chin, and he looked over as Carol walked down the hall. _I'm sure she's a lovely girl._ He grabbed the bag. _Yeah, she was a really lovely girl. She was..._

He exited the room, stopping only to roll down his sleeves, the name and the Cherokee rose with it covered by red and black plaid.


	4. One Of The Family

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

––

She ran to avoid him on her chubby three-year-old legs, those messy chestnut pigtails bouncing around, her skin a light tan from all the time in the sun they'd spend together that summer, and those big blue eyes smiled up at him as she tried to get by. He moved in and scooped her up, she let out a squeal, and he laughed, tossing her over his shoulder and dragging her into the water. Her little hands grabbed at him as he went further in, teasing her as he knew she wasn't fond of the water being over her knees. She loved swimming, but at the pool, not in the river or a creek. She usually just stuck her feet in.

_**'Daddy, stop it! Ahh, Uncle Merle! Help!'**_

Daryl sucked in a deep, sharp breath, his eyes opening to the darkness of his living room, his hands stacked on his chest. He swallowed, his throat dry as the desert, and he pushed himself up. He looked at the picture of her and him that day at the river. It was one of the best days. Merle wasn't stoned, so he tagged along. She loved her Uncle Merle, and Merle loved her like she was his own. Shit, Merle must have grilled up about a dozen hot dogs, three burgers and a steak for himself, because he didn't want her to go hungry, and he really loved any type of meat. Daryl tried to teach her how to swim so many times, but she didn't want to learn. She loved her little pink swimsuit, and she didn't want it to get yucky. And when he told her that when she was a little older, she scrunched her nose and slugged more mud at him. Heh, that was his always-changing girl.

He ran his hand down his face and rolled off the couch, heading for the bathroom. He had errands to run today, bills to pay and the like. He checked the time on his watch then tossed it into the already-fill clothes hamper, turning on the water to wash his face. He was already wake, and at least it wasn't a nightmare this time. It was a good dream this time.

Looking over his eyes as water dripped down from his face, he wondered what it would be like next time.

––

"Oh, you'll love it!" Beth, the youngest of the Greene's children, gushed. She had come to show Carol and Sophia around and possibly to help clean up and unpack. "Come on!"

Sophia loved how much energy Beth had, and she ran in after her, both of them giggling.

"I forget sometimes that she's fifteen, not five." Shawn shook his head. "I'll take this bag upstairs, Beth will get Sophia comfy then I'll take you to the office."

She nodded. "Thank you again. I really, really appreciate this."

"And we really, really know." He smiled at her. "You're gonna be like family now, so don't be so shy!"

She tried to smile back, but she didn't feel it.

"We'll work on that." He padded up the stairs to the little apartment-type room Shawn, Otis and Hershel had built a few summers ago when Maggie raged a storm about not having privacy. She was in college and needed space and silence, so they built her space and silence with a spare room, because Dad didn't want her to spend money on clothes for the massive closet they could have built. Maggie found a new place a couple months ago, and it was cheap and close to her school and the shelter, so it worked. Shawn and Beth came up here from time to time to make sure everything still worked. It was a good place to start over, and it was really great for Sophia. The farm had plenty of land for her run around on and get her hands dirty, and the fresh air would do them both good. Being in the city made Carol nervous, Shawn noticed, and out here in the middle of nowhere, she could feel safe and learn to start over. With Beth and Sophia's school so close, Shawn or Mag or Carol could drop them off on the way to work. Hershel had given Carol a position as assistant at the animal clinic, and it was a little further down from the school, so it worked. Everything worked out the way it was supposed to.

At the Greene's animal clinic, Carol looked around. It wasn't open today, but Hershel wanted Carol to come by and take in the clinic, make sure she knew where everything was and such. It wasn't too big, so she wouldn't worry about getting lost. The lobby was cute, full of cute pictures of Beth and Maggie and Shawn with the horses, cows, pigs, and even some pictures of his clients and their animals. It gave Carol a feeling of hope and home just standing there. It was truly amazing.

The bell rang as someone entered, her heart stopped, and she spun around, gasping as Hershel stepped into the building. She set a hand over her heart, closing her eyes briefly, and Hershel held his up in a gesture of peace.

"Are you all right?"

"Y—yes, I am." She exhaled and lowered her hand. "Shawn dropped me off."

"Oh, are you and Sophia settled in then?"

"Not quite. She's with Beth, unpacking what little we own." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I—I want to thank you for all that you and your family has done for me and Sophia. I can't repay you all right now, but someday, I will. I promise, I will."

"Don't worry about that right now." He smiled at her. "Or ever. I'm able to help you, so I am."

She nodded. "About letting me work here, I'm a quick study, and I'll do my best."

"I know you will." He exhaled softly. "Well, why don't I show you a few things then."

––

Beth turned on some music to help them get into the unpacking and cleaning mood. The apartment was clean and free of rats and roaches and such, but no one ever really came to dust recently. It was a weekend, and Beth was grounded for going to a party. She didn't drink, not ever. She always had a can of soda, because she could see the look in her dad's eyes if he pulled up and found her. The police had some to the party, and even though Jimmy had gotten them out of there in time, Maggie still ratted her out. Beth had forgiven her. Mag was just looking out for her after all, and she could hang out with Sophia. Sure, she was four years younger than her, but still.

"All right." Beth turned to Sophia. "So, what do you wanna do first? Clothes? Cleanin'?"

"Clothes." Sophia picked up the backpack.

"We can make the beds too." Beth grabbed the suitcase Shawn and she had put the folded up sheets in and caught up to Sophia. "This is your room. Me and Maggie painted it a few weekends ago, and Carol said you liked the color blue."

Sophia looked around at her first bedroom that didn't feel like a prison. The walls were a perfect shade of blue. She loved light colors, because they reminded her of good, happy things, and this reminded her of the ocean. The room wasn't really big, but it was perfect for her. There was a closet, a window with a beautiful view of the farm, a dresser, a nightstand, and the bed was actually new-looking. There was a pale pink card on the mattress with her name on it.

Beth watched Sophia eye the card and smiled, nudging the young girl with her elbow. "Go on. I'll get the sheets out."

Sophia set the backpack down and walked over to the bed, placing her doll on the mattress and picking up the card. She opened it and found a card inside with a gift card of two hundred dollars. It was strictly for clothes and other needed items according to the short note inside, but she found a chocolate bar inside. She smiled and slipped them back into the cards. Heh. She knew exactly who the card was from then.

"All right, do you want flowers or leaves?" Beth held up the two different types of sheets.

"Flowers, please." She moved the doll and card onto the nightstand.

They made the bed, stuffing two pillows into flowery pillowcases and tossing a quilt over the sheets. Sophia loved the quilt; it was a gift from Annette—she made quilts for the mothers and children at the shelter, and she made this one for Sophia. It was really beautiful, and if Sophia could spend some of the money on a thank you card, she was going to. It was perfect, and the room was feeling more and more like a home. It was the first time ever she'd felt like she was in a home that was her own.

"For your clothes, do you need hangers?" Beth zipped up the suitcase and looked at Sophia.

"No. I only have my pajamas." She shrugged.

"Oh." Beth was silent for a minute then nodded. "We could make your mom's bed. I make my ma's bed, and she loves it."

"Okay."

After making her mother's bed, Beth and Sophia began to clean the apartment up. It was easy work, and it was actually fun. Before when Sophia had to help her mom clean, Ed would just watch as he huffed on a cigarette, glaring at them, and he would complain whenever they tried to make it fun. He ruined everything all the time, and if Sophia had been brave enough, she would've tossed the cleaning supplies at him. She only hoped he died of lung cancer. When they finished cleaning, Beth took her up to the house and poured her a glass of lemonade.

"Your mom should be back soon." Beth sat down on a stool. "What are you guys gonna do?"

"I don't know." She sat across from Beth. "All I really know is that Mom wants to make you guys a big dinner to thank you, but I don't know when she's doing that."

"Aw, she doesn't have to do that."

"She wants to. I want to as well. You're all very kind."

Beth smiled. "We're just doin' as best we can. We really owe Carol's dad a heck of a lot, so...this is nothin' compared to what he did for my daddy."

"What did he do?" Sophia sipped on the lemonade.

"Well, you probably don't know, but my daddy used to drink a lot." Beth shifted on the stool. "He was young and stupid, and one night, he was really wasted. He couldn't even walk straight, probably couldn't see straight either, and he was gonna try to drive home." She scoffed to herself, still feeling a little queasy. This story always made her sick, and she was so thankful for David. He saved not only her dad, but her mom and Shawn and even Beth herself. "Well, Daddy was stumblin' around the parkin' lot, and David, your grandad, saw him and went over to him—he knew my dad, but I don't remembered where from. But, um, anyway, David talked to him for a short while then decided my daddy was _not_ gonna drive home like that. David wouldn't let him; he literally stole the keys to Daddy's car and climbed into the driver's seat and just waited for Daddy to get into the passenger seat." She laughed, remembering when her mom told her that and the expression she wore. "David had to drag him into the house too."

Sophia smiled a little. "I know he's a good man. I wish I could've met him."

Beth frowned. "Did he die?"

"I don't know. Mom doesn't talk about him, so I assume he died, and then there was..." She trailed off.

"And?" Beth pressed then saw the way Sophia pulled back. "Hey." She reached over and set her hand over Sophia's. "It's all right to talk about it. It is."

"Dad... Ed...didn't want us to leave his sight, even for a few days," Sophia slowly confessed. "Grandpa was really sick a while back, and Mom was crying when she was washing the dishes—she does that so Dad wouldn't hear her sobs, because of the water running—and she put away the picture of him on the fireplace. I don't know if that means he's dead or not, but...I just don't know."

Beth squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. "Come with me." Sophia watched as Beth walked over to the doorway toward the hall. "C'mon."

She slid off the stool and followed Beth down the hall, going up to her room, where Beth began to go through her closet. Sophia didn't know what she was doing, but soon the prettiest dresses Beth own were littering the bed, and she was looking for matching cardigans and such. Sophia tilted her head as she finally stood up and faced her, gesturing to the bed with her arms, and Sophia narrowed her eyes.

"If you could go to his funeral, what would you wear?"

"What?" She frowned.

"Well, I know it ain't much, and it's kinda stupid, but I have some old dresses will fit you, and we can make a eulogy. If he's died, he'll hear you from Heaven. If he's not, I believe God will hear and give you a sign." She put her hands on her hips. "So, pick one. You can keep it too. Ma and me are gonna donate them this Christmas anyway, and it can be a housewarmin' gift."

"Umm...okay." She turned toward the bed and looked over the many dresses that might be too long for her, but they would fit. She wondered why Beth had dresses from so long ago. They were really pretty and probably had a great memory attach to them, but it was still a little strange. Sophia didn't have anything from five years ago. Everything she owned was what she owned from five years ago. Dad didn't like to spend his money if she could still fit into it and if Mom could patch it up, make it look new.

"I'm kind of a hoarder," Beth told her, as if reading her thoughts. "Lemme know when you picked one. I'm gonna go grab our drinks."

Sophia ran her eyes over the dresses, reaching out and gently touched them hem of one of the dresses. She could remember the day her mom packed away a lot of pretty clothes for some reason—she knew the reason now, but she was too young to understand then—and she smiled a little to herself. She might see her mom all prettied up again. She hoped so.

– – –

"So, what have I missed?" Carol returned from the clinic and found Sophia in the small living room, adjusting some candles on the coffee table. The living room was part kitchen and part dining room, and not a whole lot of furniture would fit, but it was still all theirs. They didn't need or have much, so it was just perfect. A gift from God. She would thank both God and the Greenes every morning she woke up without Ed beside her, and she would pray every night that her strength to leave that bastard would only grow. She had to keep strong. She couldn't go back. There was no going back.

"Beth and I made the beds, unpacked and dusted some things. And...the pipes busted," Sophia informed her. "Maggie sent over Mr. Dixon. He's in the bathroom. He already did the ones in the kitchen."

That wasn't good. It was barely been their first day there. Carol hadn't even seen the apartment or house—place. She hadn't even seen the entire place yet and already the pipes have busted. Oh, well. At least they had pipes to bust, and Mr. Dixon was there to fix them. Thank God for that, because she had no idea how to use tools.

"I'll be right back." She set her jacket on the sofa that someone—she couldn't remember who at the moment—had given them after it had been cleaned, and she found Daryl on his back, adjusting...things. She didn't know what he was doing exactly, but it appeared to be...doing something. "I'm so sorry to interrupt, but how is it looking?"

He didn't move to look at her. "Better than before." That wasn't really much, though.

"Just...how long have you...been here?" She looked around the bathroom, seeing a shower with a floral shower curtain, a toilet with a fuzzy purple cover and matching mat. It was cute, and they were new, so Maggie and Beth probably bought them. Ugh. She would have to pay them back. Somehow. She wasn't sure about the future. She was scared to really think about it, but she would have to. Today, she wanted to get settled and possibly clean. Cleaning made her feel better. When the house was clean, Ed didn't get as pissy. He didn't hit as hard, or maybe that's just what she told herself.

He did sit up now, meeting her eyes, almost glaring, and she then shook her head, her eyes wide. She knew what he conclusion he had just jumped to from her previous accusations she'd made about him, and she didn't mean it like that_. _After your comments the other day, **of course** he would jump to that. Apparently, her apology wasn't as heartfelt as she meant it to be. "No, I didn't mean—" she stopped immediately and dropped her eyes to the floor. She didn't know how to apologize to a man anymore. Ed always...always cut her off, and not by words.

He tossed the wrench into the toolbox beside him, inadvertently making her jump. "I'll have to come back tomorrow to finish. I need some parts, but it's too late now." He looked up at her. "It's a shitty patch job right now, so go easy on it. I'll fix it as soon as I get the parts, probably noon tomorrow." He rested his arms on his upraised knees. "Will you or the little one be home then?" He had to work, but he could probably drop by and fix it.

"The little—Oh." She shook her head once. "Sophia has school, but I'll be here." Hershel didn't need her until about one. He had something planned, but she didn't know what, probably some shots or a surgery. She would probably find out later. All she needed to know was Hershel didn't need her in until one. Annette was going to pick up Beth and Sophia from school, and as nervous as Carol was about Sophia going back to school—a new school, at that—she couldn't avoid it. Sophia was very bright and she loved learning, so she would probably get a few scholarships for college, if not a full ride. She had to be in school to do that. She'd filled out the paperwork early that morning, but she still wanted to speak with the principal tomorrow.

He nodded. "I'll try to be here by noon."

"That's fine. Whenever you're able to get here is fine too. You don't have to rush." She rubbed her arm. "Do you need anything? We...have water."

"Nah, I'm good." He stood up. "I'll be outta your hair in a minute."

She stepped back. "How much is this going to cost? I don't have any money on me right now, but Hershel said that I would be—"

He shook his head. "No, no. You don't gotta pay me."

"Of course I do. Just give me an estimation, and I can get it to you as soon as possible."

His eyes flickered to hers. "You don't gotta pay me. It's on the house."

"It can't be that simple." Her eyes didn't leave his for the first time since he'd met her. "Everything comes with a price. Everything."

Daryl saw a darkness in her eyes, and he knew she wasn't going to back down. She wanted even. She didn't want to owe him, he could tell. He knew that look. He'd worn that look several times before himself. "Fine, but no money, just...I don't know. Make me dinner or something sometime."

"Dinner?" She sounded disbelieving.

"What? Guy's gotta eat." He hadn't eaten a decent meal since Annette gave him leftovers a couple weeks ago. "Just when y'all get settled."

"All right. What would you like?"

"Doesn't matter what." He shrugged. "Just...lemme know when. You know where to find me." He gathered his tools and left, swiping his jacket and giving Sophia a goodbye nod.

Carol turned the light off and joined Sophia, calling goodbye to Daryl before he disappeared out of the front door. She could hear him padding down the stairs, and she made sure the door was locked then turned to her daughter. "Did you hear that?"

"Yep!" She smiled. "Can we make him a roast with potatoes and carrots? Ooh, and rolls! Yeast rolls!"

Carol laughed at the excitement in her daughter's voice. Sophia loved bread in all its forms. "We'll see." She sat down on the couch, not sure what she should do now. She wanted to clean, but she didn't have anything to clean with—no rags, no cleaners—and from the look of things, Sophia and Beth already had cleaned this place. She exhaled and laced her fingers together.

"How was the clinic?"

"It was just a clinic." She shrugged. "I just hope I don't disappoint him."

"You won't," Sophia automatically shot back.

Her mom simply shook her head once, shrugged again and ran her hands over her thighs, letting out a soft, but heavy sigh. She hadn't had a job in years. She wasn't sure how to be around people anymore. With Ed, she was mostly stuck inside, and she didn't have many friends. She didn't have any friends, actually. That's one of the main reasons she went to the shelter. If she had any friends, Ed would know about them, and he would have hunted her down and dragged her back. She would've been beaten and life probably would've just gone on. She didn't know how she felt about it, about any of this, but she had to try. She couldn't just shut the world around her down anymore. She was on her own now, but she wasn't. She had people like Hershel and Maggie and Annette there to help her. She even had Daryl there to help her. Well, her pipes anyway. She was had a lot to work through—for Sophia, for the people helping her, for herself—and she needed to start sooner rather than later.

Sophia looked at her mom with a frown then stood up and crawled onto the couch beside her, resting her head on her mom's shoulder. A moment of of silence passed between them, Sophia inhaled then smiled. "I think you'll do great, Mom." She lifted her head. "C'mon, I want you to see your bedroom. Beth and I made the bed, and Mrs. Greene brought some things over for us." She gripped her mom's hand and tugged. "You'll love it!"

Carol smiled and let her daughter drag her into the room that was meant for her. To her surprise, the bed was made the way she liked, there was a pile of clothes resting along the bed. Sophia began to relay the message Annette wanted to give to Carol but didn't have time to give personally as work on the farm wasn't getting done with Shawn and Maggie busy with the shelter and school, and Carol felt tears in her eyes. She swallowed hard and let out a small sound like "wow" that held deep gratitude and respect. With people like the Greenes around and with a man as kind and stubborn as Daryl around, how could she not change?


	5. Red Velvet Cake Dreams

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

––

After working at Hershel's clinic for two weeks without any problems, Carol felt confident in the work she was doing. She really loved seeing the animals, and it was getting easier to be around their owners. They were really nice, and most of them didn't know her, so that was a bonus. The owners that did were old, old friends and pretended to not know her for her own sake. She was grateful.

And God, those animals though. Whenever she could, she'd sneak back and see them. They were all so beautiful and loving. They didn't care about her scars or how weak and pathetic she was underneath; they just wanted to see her. They were so sweet, giving kisses and swatting at her playfully through the bars to their kennels. Their eyes were so full of love and light; it was something Carol needed to be around, and as love and light that Sophia provided, she had school and then homework and a bedtime. Being around those animals, just made her begin to feel safe, day by day, and she still had a long way to go before she felt confident enough, safe enough to lower her guard a little, to not jump every time the door opened. She was always jittery, but somehow being around the animals and seeing how happy they were with their owners made her smile. For the first time, she began to feel...well, she didn't want to say, or even think, that four letter word. She began to feel cautiously optimistic.

"Sophia?" She set her keys down on the table just inside their home. "Sophia?"

"Hang on!" she called from her bedroom.

"Take your time." She removed her jacket, the sleeve catching on her watch, and she sighed softly, pulling the material free. Her eyes lingered on the watch Ed have given her for their anniversary. She'd only kept it to keep track of time, but soon she could get rid of it. Couldn't she? She swallowed. Couldn't she?

Sophia ran into the room. "Hey!" She hugged her mom tightly. "How was work?" She then sniffed. "You smell like a dog."

"Well, thank you." She hugged her back. "It was great. We saved a dog that had been bitten by a snake, and it's mouth was swollen up." It was horrible. It was literally trying to dig its own tongue out. It made her so sad, but Hershel was able to reduce the swelling. He was staying with the baby tonight just to keep an eye on him. "How was your day?"

"It was okay." She stepped back. "We—um, me and Beth—went to the lake after school, and we talked for a bit. She even helped me with my homework."

"Oh?" Carol took a seat on the couch. "All you did was talk?"

"Well, no. She showed me her act for the spring talent show. She's been working on it for months. It's very competitive." She paused. "Or maybe Beth really wants to win."

"She probably wants to win." She shifted on the couch. "So, now that you've had time to form an opinion; how do you like this new school?"

"It's all right." She plopped down beside her mom. "I haven't made any friends yet, but there's a really nice guy named Patrick who sits with me at lunch, and he's friends with another kid named Carl. They're really great."

"That's good."

"Yeah." She didn't want to tell her mom about the rude girl she'd met. She didn't need her mom to worry about her, and Sophia could handle her. "So, you like working with Hershel?"

"Yes, I do." She reached over and moved hair out of her daughter's face. "Did you finish your homework?"

"All of it." She nodded.

"Mmm'kay. I'll start dinner in a few minutes." She leaned back and set a hand over her eyes, feeling Sophia stand up and hearing her leave. She was making dinner for Daryl tonight as payment for him fixing the pipes. She had it all planned out—Sophia had ran through the store to make sure they had all they needed—and she hoped he liked it. She wished he would have just told them what he would have liked to eat. She was worried he might not like roast or might be allergic to nuts she put in the dessert. She moved her hand then exhaled softly. Shit. "Sophia?"

"Yes?"

"Did we ever call Daryl to see if he could make it tonight?" She pushed herself up.

"Ummm..." She stepped back into the living room. "I...think so."

"Okay, I'll just call and make sure."

"I'll do it. You have to start dinner, so I'll do it."

She eyed her daughter for a moment then teased, "You really like Daryl, don't you?"

"He's nice, yeah." She then smiled. "He's a good man."

Carol blinked, slightly taken aback by that, and her eyes followed her daughter as she went to the phone and dialed the number that was written on a piece of a paper bag that Daryl had torn off since he didn't have anything else to write on. She knew Sophia and Daryl were...something, and it wasn't entirely bad. Sophia was always happy to see him, and she practically talked him to death when he came over to fix the pipes, but he didn't seem to mind. She was glad Sophia had a chance to see that there were good men in this world, not all of them were bastards like Ed. She just didn't realize Sophia was already categorizing men into good or bad. But then again why wouldn't she?

"Hello? Mr. Dixon?" She paused then laughed. "Right, Daryl. Umm, are you free for dinner tonight? You're not funny, and that's not what I meant."

Carol rose off the couch and stepped into the kitchen to prepared dinner.

"Well, Mom wanted to make you dinner around seven-thirty, possibly eight. You know, for the pipes, as a thank you." She tilted her head to the side. "Uh-huh... Mmm'kay. Bye."

"And?" Carol glanced over at her.

She turned and crossed her arms. "He has to work tonight."

"Oh."

"But he's getting off early, 'cause of something he wouldn't tell me, so he can make it. He'll be here around eight, and he's bringing something. I don't know what. I don't think he knows what it is exactly either. I bet he just doesn't want me to guess what it is."

"Sophia, you should have told him we don't need him to bring anything but his appetite. This dinner is a thank you, and I don't want to owe him anything else."

"Mom, it's Daryl. He's just being...well, Daryl. Don't worry. He won't make us owe him for whatever it is. I know he won't." Sophia's eyes were full of confidence in Daryl, and it surprised Carol as well. She was never a trusting girl, but there was something in Daryl that made her trust him. Maybe because he was a dad, and he was probably a really awesome dad. As he could craft those cool crossbows and was willing to talk to someone who's not even half his age just to make sure they're all right and return them to their mom, he had to be. "Hey, could I help?"

"Yeah, sure. One day, you'll have to cook for yourself, and I think instant noodles will get a little old."

"Oh, ha ha." Sophia scrunched her nose at her mom. "And I make awesome noodles."

"The neighbor's dog wouldn't even eat it."

"It wasn't my cooking that made him run away," she shot back. "It was...dad and his shotgun."

"If that makes you feel better," Carol teased, not wanting Sophia to think about Ed now.

"I could so cook, but you never let me near the oven or stove. Toast and microwaved noodles are all I know, so teach me how, please." She planted herself beside her mom. "And can I, at least, use a knife this time? Butter knives suck when you're trying to cut an onion."

"We'll see." Carol smirked.

"Yeah, we'll see me cutting something with a knife."

Carol chuckled once and shook her head at how much confidence were in her daughter's words and face, but Sophia's tone and expression were welcome.

––

Daryl padded up the steps to Carol and Sophia's place, noting the loose step on his way, and he shook his head. Shawn was the worst builder in the entire world. He might have to take a look at it before winter hit. He didn't like the idea of them walking down the weather-worn step and it collapsing from the weight. They could fall through and get gravely injured. He didn't want that or to even imagine that. He would find time to fix this.

He knocked on the door, hands stuffed into his jacket pockets, and he didn't have to wait long. The front door opened to reveal Sophia smiling wide at him. He returned it with a small smile, wondering if she had worn the dress because her mother asked or because she wanted to look nice. "Hey, kid."

"Hey." She motioned for him to come in. "Mom will be out in a sec. She was finishing the icing for dessert and lost track of time to shower and change, you know? Umm, do you want anything to drink? We have pop and water."

"Yeah, that sounds great. Doesn't matter what kind."

"Good, because we only have cola." She stepped into the kitchen and pulled down two glasses. "With ice?"

"Yeah." He glanced over the house, seeing the personal touches Carol and Sophia had added. The kitchen/dining room/living room was home-y, and it smelled really good, like baked cake and roast. It was better than the dankish smell that was here when he first came to fix the pipes. It was nice.

"Have a seat. The couch's much more comfortable than it looks." She handed him the glass of pop and sat down on the couch. "Oh, wait. Let me take your jacket. I forgot."

"Nah, it's all right. I can do it." He set the cup down on the coffee table and removed his jacket. "Where do you want me to put this?"

"I'll take this." Carol took the jacket from his hand.

"Oh, thanks."

There was an awkward silence, Sophia glanced between her mom and Daryl, trying to mouth at her mother to say something—anything, at this point—but there was only awkward throat clearing. If they weren't looking at her now, she would've slapped her hand to her face. Sophia had seen how much her mom was changing since being away from her dad, so she didn't understand why she couldn't be all smiles and small talk with Daryl as she was with some of Hershel's friends—he didn't like the term "clients" since he knew all of them, and they were friends. Why did Daryl make her mom nervous? Maybe all men did, but being that out in the open made her feel...safer. Dad never hit her mom in public. He practically refused. Well, there was one time. Sophia frowned to herself.

"I hope you like roast," Carol finally said, hanging his jacket up. "And red velvet cake."

"It's frigging awesome!" Sophia told him. "You'll get addicted."

"Sounds...great."

_Oh, God, this was going to be a long evening._ Sophia took a drink of pop. If she had known how painful this was going to be, she would've worn sweats and a t-shirt to at least be comfortable while wincing at the uneasy comments. She should've prayed beforehand.

"I'll help you set the table." Sophia hopped up. "Now, please." She stepped into the kitchen and pulled down three plates and glanced at her mom. "Just relax."

"Who's raising whom here?" Carol grabbed silverware. "I am fine."

"Your hands are shaking." She reached over and gripped her mom's hand tightly, but gently. "It's all right." She met her eyes. "It is."

She smiled at her daughter and leaned over, kissing her temple. "Here, you finish this. I'll be right back." She excused herself and went to her bedroom, closing the door slightly. She set a hand on her stomach, taking a deep breathe, and she looked out the window, seeing the sun setting. She tried to calm her nerves, but it wasn't working. She did like Daryl. She did. He was a good person, but having a man in the house, having dinner with him, was all very familiar, and with that familiarity came flashes of Ed's demoralizing words and enraged fist. She knew not all men were like Ed—she really did know that—but it was still difficult. She just needed a moment.

She jumped when someone knocked on the door, accidentally causing it to open since she didn't close it properly, and Daryl poked his head in, face apologetic. She rubbed her arms and offered him a small smile. "Do you need something?"

"No, just..." He stepped into the room, not wanting Sophia to hear. "Look, if I'm makin' you uncomfortable, I can go."

"Oh, no, no, no." She wanted to step closer, but she didn't. "It's not you, I assure you. Just give me a moment, please. I...have to find my...eye drops."

He smirked. "Yeah, sure. I'll help Sophia." He left, helping the kid set the table.

"Is she all right?" Sophia grabbed the rolls.

"Yeah, she's fine."

She nodded and set them on the table then met his eyes. "How was your day?"

"A day." He shrugged. "How was yours?"

"It was good." She grabbed the salt and pepper then her drink. "I...haven't made any friends, though." She wasn't good at making friends. People either made fun of her or ignored her. You didn't have to be a ghost for people to not see you. She didn't really try either, though. She preferred books to people, walks to movies. If that made her unlikeable or different then so be it. She wasn't going to change for them. She had to be who she was, and she had to help her mom find who she was too.

"Hey, kid?"

"Yes?" She lifted her head, and he flicked her nose. "What the heck was that for?"

"That look. You're makin' me sad." He grabbed his drink.

She rolled her eyes and smirked slightly. "Okay, have a seat." She tucked hair behind her ear. "Mom!"

"I'm right here. No need to yell." She joined them. "All right, hand me your plate, Daryl."

"Oh, make hers first. I should wash up." He slipped away into the bathroom to wash his hands.

"I could seriously eat all the potatoes in there." Sophia forked out a few potatoes to put on her plate while her mom cut the roast up.

"Do you remember the last time you tried?"

"Blah." She cringed. "Don't mentioned it."

She laughed. "Then stop adding more, and you're eating carrots too."

"I know, Mom."

"Of course you do."

She stuck her tongue out at her then ate a piece of potato. "Can I just have the mushy onions instead?"

"No."

She sighed. "Fine, I'll remember this."

"Go remember at the table then."

As they continued to prepare the plates and teased each other, Daryl felt glued to the spot in the hall, unable to move. He could see her in his mind as plain as day, the words so similar, and he had to clench his jaw. He shook the thoughts from his head, and he sighed soundlessly. He might not be able to do this. Sophia was too much like her, or maybe all girls had pieces in them that reminded him of his little girl. Christ, at the shelter most of the kids just avoided him, but this was too much. It was killing him. She would be about Sophia's age now, wouldn't she? Maybe a few days older. She was born in the fall... Jesus. He pinched the bridge of his nose. _Don't think about her. Not now. Don't._ He just had to get through this dinner, and he would most likely never see them again. Just one hour, maybe two. He could do that. He had to. She'd made all of this for him, and he wasn't going to just walk out on her. His daughter wouldn't want that. Shit, most days he felt like his baby girl was raising him. Little runt...

"Daryl, dinner's getting cold!" Sophia took a seat beside her mom.

Sucking in a breathe, he stepped out and took the only seat left. "Smells damn good."

"No cussing, please." Carol set a napkin in her lap.

"I've heard worse at school," Sophia told her mom.

"Well, I don't want you to hear it here too then."

Sophia gave Daryl a look, and he smirked.

"Sophia, would you say a few words?" Carol noted the look.

"Um, sure. I'd love to." She gripped her mom's hand and them Daryl's, seeing how tentative her mom was in holding Daryl's hand, but she did take it. Sophia smiled inside. It would take time, but her mom would realize just how much she didn't need Ed, and how she didn't need to be afraid. They were in good hands, and she thanked God for that every single night.

––

"Do you want milk with that?" Carol asked, referring to the slice of red velvet cake, already filling a glass for Sophia.

"Nah."

"It's rich." Sophia accepted the glass.

"I'm good, but thanks." He took a bit.

Sophia crossed her legs underneath her. "Want milk now?"

He smirked. "No."

"Do you like it?" Carol's voice was small, and she wasn't looking at him as she cut a small slice for herself.

"Yeah, it's all been real good."

She smiled a little to herself. "Well, good."

They ate the dessert with Sophia talking about a movie they played in class today. She really loved it, and it was called _How To Train Your Dragon 2_. Toothless was just the cutest thing ever. She really liked how he reminded her of the cats in Hershel's clinic. She told them of her disgust when he slurped up Cloud Jumper's regurgitated fish-kabobs. She waited until they were done before she mentioned that though. It still made her cringe. It was all juicy and bleh! She still wanted her very own Toothless, but even if dragons existed, she doubted she'd get the adorably cool one. If she had a dragon, she would blow up her dad's house. And his stupid car that he loved more than them.

"Nobody move me," Sophia said from the couch, burying her face a throw pillow. "Or press on my stomach."

"I told you not to go back for seconds."

"My stomach said no too, but taste buds said yes." She groaned softly. "It's not my fault they're very persuasive."

Daryl smirked then glanced over as Carol began to wash the dishes. "Hey, lemme help." He hopped up and parked himself beside her.

"No, no, it's all right. I can do this myself."

He reached over and gently loosened the sponge from her fingers. "I wanna help. You made this for me, and I'm gonna clean up for you. Or, we can do it together, so we won't "owe" each other."

"Then I'll wash and you dry."

"I can wash dishes."

She glanced at him and nodded. "Okay."

Sophia continued to softly groan as her food roughly digested in her stomach, Carol grabbed the dishtowel to dry the dishes off, and Daryl squirted soap onto the sponge before reaching into the water take a hold of a plate. The silence wasn't as strained as it was before, Sophia stopped groaning as her stomach settled, and Carol and Daryl made fast work of the dishes. Soon, it was almost time for Sophia to be in bed, and Daryl had to get to get to bed early for his shift tomorrow morning.

"Oh, wait." He paused in getting his coat. "I got somethin' for you."

Sophia shot up and off the couch. "You were serious?"

"Yeah." He dug his keys out his pocket and placed them into her hand. "Here, go get it from my truck."

She looked at her mom, Carol gave a nod, and she took off down the stairs.

"Be careful!" Carol called after her.

"I am!" Not a minute later. "Whoa! Ow!" Then, "I'm okay!"

She shook her head and looked down the hall as Daryl adjusted his jacket. "That child, I swear." She smiled a little. "Is your daughter any calmer?"

"Tsh, hell no. Hyper and curious, that's her only settin'." He padded down the stairs, and Carol followed. They met Sophia by the car. "Find it?"

"No." She was in the front set. "I'm too scared to touch anything. I think one of the cheeseburger wrappers moved too."

He rolled his eyes and reached under the seat, pulling out a gift bag. "There, kid. Enjoy."

She reached inside and pulled out a black velvet case. Opening, she found a charm bracelet with little fake-diamond flower around the chain links with cute silver and purposefully aged keys with two locked hearts and a locket heart and even a watch. It was so pretty. It was the prettiest gift she'd ever gotten. She met his eyes then stood up, minding her head, and hugged him tightly. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, kid." He was glad she liked it.

Carol gently took the box from her daughter and looked it over. "Isn't it...a bit much?" She gave him a sideways look. "Wouldn't your daughter like it?"

"Nah. She...doesn't like girly stuff. Better Sophia wears it than it gathers dust." He shrugged as Sophia released him from the hug.

"Why would you buy something girly if your daughter doesn't like girly things?"

"I didn't buy it. My boss gave it to me, some weekly prize shit." He shrugged again. "Figured she'd like it, guess I was right."

"I do like it!" Sophia was grinning. "I love it!"

Carol handed the gift back to her daughter. "Go get ready for bed, honey. It's late." She rubbed her arm.

"Okay. Bye, Daryl." She hugged him once more than hurried back inside, clutching the gift.

Carol crossed her arms and looked at the man beside her. "Do you ever say her name?" she spoke softly, not sure she wanted an answer, fully knowing he wouldn't answer. He started nibbling on his bottom lip, and she could feel his walls rising. She could see just how tense he was, and she instantly felt like a shit.

What the hell was wrong with her? Why didn't she realize he spoke of her the way he did, because it was personal. Or maybe that's just how he talked about his daughter. Why was she so stupid? Tonight was supposed to be...fun, she supposed, but the minute she opened her mouth, it turned into tension and clenched jaws. _Why the fuck do you think I never let your dumbass ever speak? Ignorant bitch. You should never have been born. Piece of shit._ She shuddered. "I'm sorry." It came out weak and shaky, almost as if she was talking to Ed, not Daryl.

He lifted his eyes to hers. "Thanks for dinner. It was great. I—Shit, I gotta go." He closed the passenger door and walked around to the driver's side then climbed in and drove off.

She watched his taillights disappear into the night, and she had a feeling the reason his daughter's name was tattooed on his forearm was very like a placing a sticker of someone you loved unconditionally but lost on the back windshield of your car. She shivered and headed back inside. She was going to pray for him tonight. Normally, she prayed for Ed to never find them, for Sophia to be stronger and wiser than she had ever been, for the Greenes to always been in good health, and for God to give her strength should Ed find them. Tonight, though, she was going to pray for Daryl to find peace and happiness. She knew he needed someone to look out for him, and in case he didn't have anybody, she would be there as much as he would allow. She wouldn't push—she didn't have that in her—but she would smile and give him what she had to offer: kindness and baked goods.

––

Daryl shifted on his bed once more in his sleep, trying to get comfortable unconsciously, one of his hands hovering above his forehead, the other lazily dangling off the bed. He mumbled in his sleep that nickname he had for her as his dreams felt so real.

They were sitting on the dock, playing cards, waiting for the sun to dry their swimsuits and skin so they could go back to their lesson. She'd begged and begged to do something productive this summer, very restless and sick of being stuck in the house all the time. She didn't like her babysitter either. Daryl often came home to find the poor girl in tears as El had done something to her. He knew this kid was going to be a handful, but shit. She was evil when she didn't like somebody. She wasn't even old enough to know how mean she was to that poor girl, but she was. Well, she wasn't evil, those were the babysitter's words as she finally quit, her crush on him not worth the "torture". All she did was bring in some spiders...and fire ants. The kid loved all living things; how was that bad?

"I win." She squinted at him then glanced over at the water, the wind blowing at her fizzy, curly hair. "Daddy?"

"Yeah?" He began to shuffle the cards.

"Is Anna coming back?"

"Naw, just you and me. Probably Merle too."

She met his eyes. "I didn't mean—"

"I know." He lifted his eyes up from the cards to his daughter. "I know you didn't mean nothin' by it. You were just bein' you."

She nodded slowly then smiled. "I love you, Daddy." She stood up and hugged him tightly. "I'll always love you."

He smiled and hugged her back. "I love you too, kid."

"I have a name!" she teased.

"I love you too, Ella." He then began to tickle her, she squirmed to get away, and he laughed. She got free and ran down to the other end of the dock, glaring at him, and he rolled onto his knees and stood up then bolted toward her. She squealed and took off running with her father right behind her.

Daryl had always been broken; his father made sure of that. He went through his life drifting from place to place with Merle. He was just a redneck asshole with an even bigger asshole for a brother. He didn't care what happened in his life. He just didn't. Then he met this chick and screwed around with her, completely fucked up on something Merle had given him. He had no clue who the hell she was when she came to him months later to tell him she was pregnant. He had to have Merle tell him when this happened and how. It was still a damn blur, but he didn't care. He could tell the chick was genuine, terrified and ready to just quote "get rid of the fucking thing". She was looking for Merle's friend who knew somebody who could "help". Merle had been twitching the entire conversation, but that made him erupt. He didn't care about the women he was with, but that woman was pregnant with his baby brother's kid, and he wasn't going to let up. Merle never could. He reduced that woman into a ball of tears and apologizes. She kept the baby, at least for the rest of the six months. Daryl was grateful every day that she had tried rehab and anything she may have used didn't effect Ella.

The first time he held her in his arms, saw _his_ big blue eyes and her little fingers reached for him, he knew his heart would belong to no one else. He changed the minute that chick—whose name he didn't want to remember—told him she was pregnant with his kid. He didn't have to do rehab or anything; he wasn't really into drugs, so all he had to was get a job, a good job. He worked his ass off to meet their standards, to prove he was really committed. He also read up on babies, because he didn't know shit about babies. He had to find one of Merle's "friends" to help him pick out all of the needed baby items. She was nice enough, and she did help. He was prepared, but not really prepared at all.

Ella was a handful from the time she started crawling. She was so curious about everything, and Daryl nearly had a panic attack when Merle was watching her while he worked and lost her. Thankfully, she'd only wondered into Daryl's closet and was playing with—and chewing on—one of his bolts. Merle swore to never let it happen again, and he didn't. Ella was an accident, yes, but she brought so much to their lives. She healed with a laugh or a touch, brought out laughs from both Merle and Daryl whenever she farted and giggled about it as a baby, and she just...gave them happiness and love when they didn't have any. Because of that little oops, Daryl and Merle were forced into celebrating holidays and making **good **memories. Ella Grace—a name he didn't pick, but her mom did—Dixon healed Daryl, and she would never know just how much he loved her for that and for coming into his life. He was going to show her, but not let her become a brat. She was too sweet for that, though, just not to anybody who had a crush on her dad apparently.

He caught her and hauled her up. "Ha!"

"Your legs are longer! That's not fair!"

"When you're all grown up, we'll see what excuse you'll be usin' then."

"Okay, sure. Oh, by the way, you're standin' in poison ivy," she informed him.

"Shit!" He jumped back.

"Bad word!"

"Then crap! Crap, crap, crap!"

She giggled.


	6. After School Buddies

"Beth, I can't." Maggie adjusted her earring.

"Please? You have a day off next week. I know you do! You said you would teach me!"

"I know what I said, honey, but something's come up. I'm sorry."

She sighed. "Then can I borrow your computer?"

"Sure, I'll give it to you when I pick you guys up." Maggie stood up and looked at her sister. "Beth, go get your stuff! We can't be late!"

"It's already in the car." Beth crossed arms. "Along with Sophia."

"Oh, well then go down to the car. I'll be out in one second. I need some coffee."

"This is what happens when you sleep over and forget to set your alarm," Beth informed her.

"And this is what happens when you remind me of that," she grabbed a pillow off her bed and hit Beth with the pillow with each word, "every. Single. Time!"

"Maggie!" She covered her face. "Mag, stop!"

"Girls, please." Their mom walked by and nodded toward the stairs. "It's only gettin' later."

"Sorry." Maggie dropped the pillow onto the bed. "Let's get you two to school." She kissed her mom on the cheek. "Bye."

"Bye, Mom." Beth hugged her mom then followed Maggie down the stairs.

"Be safe! It's supposed to rain!"

"Ugh, not again," Beth and Maggie both groaned.

– – –

Sophia sighed, moving the tip of her shoe in the dirt to make a crappy picture of a dog or maybe a cat or a weird dragon thing. She didn't know what it was, just that it was only boring her more and more each passing second. She would be in the library with Beth, who was working on a history report with her friend Lacey, but she didn't want to go in, because she saw Molly enter with her friends. She didn't want to risk Molly causing a scene in front of Beth, because Beth would tell her mom, and she didn't want her mom to worry about her. Her mom had enough to worry about without her adding to it.

"Hey, kid."

She lifted her head and squinted, seeing Daryl crossing the space between them. She smiled. "Hi."

"What are you doin' out here?" He removed his sunglasses and looked down at her.

"Just waiting for Maggie. She's picking us up at five."

"Us? All I see is you."

"Well, Beth's in the library with her friend. I'm just waiting here."

He eyed her. "It's 3:45 right now, you got time. Why don't you go into the library? Read a book."

"I'm fine. I have a book." She showed him the book her class was reading. She had already read it though. She didn't mind re-reading it. She liked to read.

"You've already read it," he noted.

"What?"

He bent down and took the book, flipping through it. "Dog-eared the pages, made the book...fluffy."

She smirked. "Or the person before me did."

He smirked back. "Also saw you thumbin' through it when I came over for dinner. It's been a while since that dinner, so I figured you must have finished it."

"I did finish it. A while ago." She shrugged. "I liked it."

"Well, in case you get bored," he reached into his pocket and dug out an mp3 player, "here. I'll need it back, but not at this very moment."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I ain't gonna need it where I'm goin'."

"Well, how would I give it back to you?" She met his eyes. "What if I don't see you again?"

"Give it to Maggie." He held it out to her. "Besides, I'll be back through here tomorrow."

"I'll probably be here tomorrow." She accepted the mp3 player. "Thank you, Daryl."

"Don't mention it." He stood up. "You at least got somethin' to drink?"

She nodded and dug out the bottle of water from her backpack. "I'm not stupid."

"Just stubborn." He turned and walked away.

She looked at the mp3 player then turned it on. She looked over the names of the artists he had on his mp3 player, and she didn't know most of them. She wasn't exactly eager to find out what they were about, so she decided to listen to the radio when she noticed Jackson 5 on the list of artists. She entered the folder and found a music file for _ABC_. She played it and began to wonder just why he had this on his mp3 player. She looked the mp3 player over and saw two small initials that didn't match Daryl's at all. The letters were MG, and she wondered who the heck that was. Maybe his kid's mom.

Wait, who was Daryl's kid? She hadn't seen him with her ever, and he rarely talked about her either. She only knew his kid was a girl, because of the tattoo she'd seen and that one time he mentioned her to her and her mom. She was probably the same age as his daughter. She couldn't remember if he ever said what her age was, but Daryl was about her mom's age, so his daughter was probably the same age or about the same age as her. Maybe, but the weird things was she has never seen his daughter alone or with her mom or even with him. Why wasn't she ever in school? Was she home schooled? Did she attend a different school? If Daryl could easily pick their kid up from school every day, why wasn't she attending the same school as Sophia? She didn't even know another Dixon, just him. Weird.

– – –

_Daryl walked into the house after a long day and a half of working his ass off, thoroughly exhausted and so ready to just drop and sleep wherever the hell he dropped. He ran a hand over his face, trying to make his way back to his bedroom, when he heard music. He looked over at his daughter's room and checked his watch, seeing it was almost noon. He wondered who in the hell was over there this early in the morning._

_Pushing open the door, he found Maggie Greene playing some song and making El dance to it. He blinked and started to wonder if he was already asleep. He knew he was awake when El giggled and started walking for him. Only she couldn't really walk just yet, so she almost fell, but at the sight of her leaving Maggie's arms, he dropped everything he was holding and grabbed her up. She just giggled again, and he held her tightly, his heart racing at the thought of her busting her chin on the floor. He needed to get some carpets for the hall. Christ._

_"She's okay." Maggie rose, dusting off her jeans. "She's sturdy."_

_He said nothing, exhaled._

_"You didn't reply to my message, so I just stayed over," Maggie changed the subject. "She didn't sleep much, so I gave her one of her worn shirts and she passed right out." Maggie tucked hair behind her ear. "She misses you. You should be around more often."_

_He wanted to be, but he had to be able to support her. Merle had his own life, and Daryl couldn't—didn't want to rely on him for this. She was his daughter, and he was going to provide for her. He could do this. He would do this right. She deserved the best of him, and he was going to give it to her. He would be there for the big moments, but right now he needed to make sure he could afford to keep her in his life. That bitch was always breathing down his neck, waiting for the perfect moment to take Ella away from him. He knew it was her job, but he also knew she had no right to categorize him as "unfit" simply because of who his father is. As if Ella's mother would try to be her mother. He strongly disliked Alyssa. She was just a bitch who watched him like a hawk, waiting for any signs of neglect or abuse._

_"But I know you have to work." She pointed to the clock. "And you're lucky it's summer, otherwise I'd have missed class."_

_"Thank you, Maggie."_

_She smiled. "Don't thank me, just pay me, because I need coffee. I am so exhausted, and I have to be back here at ten, so—"_

_"Oh, I don't need tonight."_

_"Really?" He nodded. "Thank you! I need so much sleep." She smiled. "Have a good night, and I will see you tomorrow." She gathered her things from Ella's room, the mp3 player included. She grabbed the container that once held her dinner of her chicken and potatoes out of the fridge and her plastic water bottle. She stuffed them into her backpack and let him walk her to the door._

_He still held his baby girl, gently rocking her. "Sure you don't want me to take you home?"_

_"No, you look just as I feel. Mom's at the market with Shawn, getting food for Beth. She's sick, but don't worry, I haven't been around her, and I'm healthy."_

_"Tell her I hope she feels better."_

_"I will." She smiled. "Good night, Daryl. Good night, honey." She kissed her fingers and set then on Ella's little head, knowing Daryl would've stepped back if she tried to kiss Ella's head with her lips. She stepped out of the house, got on her bike and headed toward town, using the last of her energy to get to the store._

_Daryl locked up and looked down, seeing his daughter sleeping peacefully in his arms. He smiled to himself and kissed the top of her head. No matter how late he worked, it was worth it. She was worth it._

––

"Why do I need a babysitter?" Sophia argued with her mom. "The name says baby and sitter. I'm not a baby, and I can take care of myself."

"Sophia, this has nothing to do with your age or how capable you are of taking care of yourself. I just need to know you aren't up until four in the morning and have had a decent meal." Carol stepped out of the bathroom, drying her hands. "Besides, it's a school night, and I need to make sure you're up in time."

"Where are you even going?" She followed her mom through the house, which didn't take her very far.

"Out. I already told you Hershel needs me at the clinic, and then I have..some things to do. You don't need to be involved in them." She turned and gripped her daughter's shoulders. "Please, listen to Beth and behave."

"I. Don't. Want. A. Babysitter!"

"You. Need. One." She kissed her forehead and smiled. "I'll pick you up after school today. I promise."

"You don't have a car," Sophia retorted.

"I will."

She heaved a sigh. "Fine." She hugged her tightly. "I love you, and I'll see you when you pick me up."

"I love you too." She rubbed Sophia's back then squeezed her. "Be good tonight."

"I always am."

Someone knocked on the front door, Carol let Sophia go and answered it, letting Beth inside. Carol said goodbye to both of them and left the house. Beth looked at Sophia once her mom left and smiled a little then held up a bag of popcorn puffs.

Sophia returned her smile. "Do you have a movie?"

"I have ten."

"Well, Hershel just gave us a working DVD player, so we might as well try it out." She pointed to the kitchen. "What do you like to drink? We now have apple juice, Coke and lemonade."

"I'll get it myself. You don't have to cater to me." She set the bag down then dug into her purse for the movies. She sat down on the couch and looked at Sophia. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Sophia frowned slightly.

"The sunburn." She gestured to Sophia's arm. "I didn't mean to take so long, but—"

"Don't be sorry. It's okay. I chose to stay outside. Don't worry about it." She shrugged a shoulder. "Besides, I found ways to pass time."

She smiled. "At least you won't have to wait on me tomorrow."

She returned it. "I guess not." She stepped into the kitchen to add more pop to her glass and remembered she still had Daryl's mp3 player. She didn't know when she would see him again. If her mom was picking her up from school tomorrow, she would have to find some way to get it back to him. Beth's project may be done by tomorrow, so she might have to give it to Maggie to give it back to him. She'd find a way. If only she knew where he lived, she could walk to his house or run to his house and give it back. Or maybe mail it. Maggie was probably her best bet.

––

"All right, I'm here." Karen rubbed her arm as the cold wind blew at her, speaking to her sister on the phone. "Where are you? And if you show up with him, I swear to God—" Karen cut off at the sight of her sister stepping out of a car.

"I'm not alone." Carol walked over to her, ending the call and holding a hand toward her sister, a gesture for Karen to not walk away or try and lunge at who she thought was Ed. "It's not who you think. Um, this is Hershel Greene. Do you remember him?"

She nodded. "Hello, Mr. Greene."

"Please, call me Hershel." He smiled. "I'll wait by the car." He took the phone gently from Carol's hand, rubbed her arm encouragingly and stepped away.

Karen tucked hair behind her ear and looked over her sister. Carol had had that short hair for years, but it was a little longer now. She looked healthy as well. She didn't have that hunched look of trying to make herself as small as possible anymore. She was a little jumpy, but not hunched. God, had she really done it? "You look good."

"So do you." Carol knotted her fingers together. "How is everyone?"

"Tyreese is well. He recently was promoted." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Maddie is eight now."

"Eight?" Carol felt tears in her eyes, and she wasn't even sure why. "Wow, that's amazing." She listened to Karen talk about her daughter and her husband, seeing the smile of happiness at the thought of them. She was genuinely happy, and that made Carol feel wonderful. She was really glad to hear how her niece was doing. She hardly got to see her before, but maybe now or in the close future, she would see more of her. It would be good for Sophia to be around Karen and Tyreese. They were both amazing people, and they were family. They would treat Sophia how family was supposed to treat family. Sophia needed more happy memories with family.

Karen noted the tears in her sister's eyes as she now listened to Carol speak about Sophia and about what happened with Ed this last time, and Karen wanted nothing more then to embrace Carol and never let her go, but she wasn't sure of anything. She had gotten Carol's letter and called the number written on the bottom, but it was sadly so implausible for Karen to wrap her mind around this. Carol, of her own free will, had left Ed. Carol left Ed. He didn't kick her out. He didn't divorce her. She left him. She didn't know if it was for good. She didn't know anything, but she was grateful to Hershel for allowing Carol to have this chance. Karen knew her sister, and if Hershel had not stepped in the way he had, Carol would be realigning her shoulder or trying to cover a bruise with makeup. Carol was too scared to be alone, and it pissed Karen off, because Carol was never alone. She only made herself believe she was. She had a sister who loved her and who would've burned Ed and his house down to help her. If it wasn't for Tyreese, she probably would have burned that bastard to ash years ago. Maybe now they could start over and be a family. She didn't dare get her hopes up, not this time.

Karen smiled a little. "Okay, it's getting even colder. Let's get some coffee!" She stepped back toward her car. "I'll drive."

Carol smiled. "Just give me a moment."

"That should be long enough to get the car warm."

Carol joined Hershel at the car. "We're going to get some coffee. Do you want to join us?"

"Oh, no. This is between you and Karen. No, I'll just meet you at T's."

She nodded. "Thank you so much, Hershel."

He smiled. "Go."

She smiled back at him then returned to her sister. They had a lot to talk about and not a lot of time. Both Sophia and Maddie had school in the morning, only Karen took Madison to school every morning, and Carol had to meet T-dog, so she had to leave soon herself. She didn't want to wait another day to get a car, and he was reasonable unlike some. She hoped they could work out a payment plan. Hershel seemed confident, but Carol wasn't. Things were going so well, and she was waiting for the worst, planning for it. She doubted she'd ever stop planning for the worst.

Karen ran her fingertips over the warm coffee cup, looking at Carol through her eyelashes and through the steam that floated up out of her cup. She cleared her throat. "So, what are your plans?"

"My plans?" Karen nodded. "Well," she let out a soft, short laugh, "for now, all I am planning is moving. I don't know where exactly. Out of town, for sure, but I don't know. I may not be able to afford it."

"Well, there's a house down the street from one of my friend's, and it's really lovely. It'd be perfect for you and Sophia. It's not out of town, just on the other side of town. There's a nice school there as well. Sophia would love it. Madison does."

"But how much does it cost?"

"I don't know. I'll ask Andrea when I see her next. I'd call her now, but she's busy with work." She took a drink of coffee, relieved beyond words that Carol had plans.

Carol exhaled softly. "Could I ask a favor?"

"You can ask, but I don't know if I can do it." She lowered her cup. "What's the favor?"

"Could... Would it be possible for Sophia to come over this weekend? Or next weekend? I think it would be really good for her to see you all."

Karen smiled. "You don't even have to ask. Ty and Madison would love to see her. _I_ would love to see her. They'd love to see you as well." She reached over and grasped her sister's hand. "You and Sophia were always welcome to come and see us."

Carol blinked back tears and nodded. "I really missed you."

"I really missed you too." Karen released her hand and moved into the booth beside her and wrapped an arm around her. "Don't cry. If you cry, I cry, and I'm the only one who will walk out of here looking like a raccoon."

Carol laughed softly, but she cried. She was so scared Karen would reject her. She had the worst in mind, and it didn't even come close to what actually happened. She needed to start separating true scenarios from the ones that were so impossible they were ludicrous. Ed had filled her head with so many lies, and she started beating him to the punch. Of course, he always punched back, but no more. No more. If she and Sophia were going to start over, she needed to start over with herself. A clean slate.

– – –

"_A, B, C,_" Sophia softly murmured as she worked on her math homework, waiting for her mom to pick her up, "_it's easy as 1, 2, 3_—" She heard a car and looked up, but it wasn't her mom. She sighed and closed her math book with her notebook and pencil inside. She checked the watch on the bracelet Daryl have given her and frowned her. Her mom was twenty minutes late. Where in the world was she? She pulled out the earbuds and stuffed inside one of the pockets in her backpack then slid in her math book.

"You should try sunblock."

She looked up and smirked. "You should try conditioner."

He smirked. "What are you doin' out here?"

"Just waiting for my mom." She uncrossed her legs. "Hey, Daryl, do you have a minute?"

He checked his watch. "Probably not." He sat down anyway, and she let out a small laugh. "What?"

"I don't want to get you in trouble with your boss." She picked at the peeling sunburn, her eyes in his. Well, more like on his sunglasses.

"Don't worry 'bout it." He removed his sunglasses. "What's on your mind?"

"Your daughter." She pulled her legs in, seeing him tense up a lot. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable or seem rude, but...I was curious. I never see her with you, and you never really talk about her. Like, you don't mention what she _does_ like and where she goes to school." She searched his eyes. "Do you see her? Ever?"

He leaned back over the bench and closed his eyes, picturing her face as plain as day in his mind. A soft, sad sigh escape his lips, and he straightened up, his eyes falling on Sophia's face as she squinted up at him. She titled her head, and he chewed on his bottom lip. "Why do you wanna know, kid?"

"Because I like you," she admitted slowly, watching him. "You're a good person, and I was curious to see if you were a good dad too, because you'd have to be. I mean, you're really kind and patient and you listen, not like my dad at all. I just wanted to meet her, because I think she'd be really cool and nice like you." She also wanted to meet a girl her own age or around her age that wasn't completely cruel and disrespectful. She liked Patrick and Carl, but sometimes she wanted a girl to talk too. Beth was older and had problems of her own; her mom would be too protective, and Maggie wasn't someone she was really acquainted with. She liked Daryl, and he was easy to talk to, and Sophia was kind of like her mom, so maybe his daughter was kind of like him. Maybe.

He smiled a little. It was more of a half-smile. "El's great. She's...real sweet, real hyper, real smart too. She's not a whole lot like me, not really. She ain't like her mom neither. That's a good thing, though."

"What do you mean?" She turned her body toward him and lowered her legs to sit Indian style. "Tell me about when she was born. Um, please."

"It wasn't like your birth," he admitted. "I wasn't in the room with Celia—that's her mom. I wasn't in the waitin' room either. I was home with my brother, settin' up the sh—crib and stuff." He chewed on his bottom lip again, his eyes deep and full of hurt. "See, the thing 'bout me and Celia was...we weren't a couple. We weren't even together after she was pregnant or before even." He scratched his nose and stared hard at the ground as he told her the story.

–––

_The house Daryl had purchased a few years ago had three rooms. Technically, two and a half. The third room was small, like it had been chopped in half by the previous owners to extend the living room, which it may have been. He didn't recall the details. He just bought the first house that was outside of town, away from prying eyes. That room was perfect for nursery. When she was older, he would move her into the other room, but for now it was perfect. The crib fit, the changing table fit, and even the rocking chair fit into the room._

_Daryl painted the room, thought it took him days to decide on a color. He didn't really care, but his kid would be forced to stare at that color for months. And so would he. Maybe he did care. He had to get a second opinion, and there was a kid there with her mom and baby sister, so he asked her. She liked the apple green color, and she told him the color of her sister's nursery and how she hated it. When her mom noticed she was talking to someone, she spun around and almost glared him off. When she saw exactly what he was asking her daughter, she almost laughed and she helped him find a color. That was how he met his future babysitter and future coworker._

_"This is the color you picked?" Merle snorted, taking a deep drink of his beer._

_"Yeah." Daryl held a teddy bear loosely in his fingers. "I kinda like it."_

_"Eh." He pushed off the doorframe and headed into the living room. "You ready for this kid?"_

_Daryl flicked the lights off and tossed the bear into the crib. He plopped down onto the couch and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know," he confessed. "I've been thinkin' about it, but honest I don't know."_

_"Can't be too hard," Merle mused. "I practically raised you. Look how good you turned out."_

_Daryl snorted, but fear was welling up inside of him. He didn't want to be the type of father his father was, and he knew he wouldn't be. He wasn't like his father, and he was no longer in his brother's shadow. He was just him, and he was going to be a father soon. He wasn't sure if he could be a good father. What the hell was he going to do when she hit puberty? What the hell was he doing to do when she wanted to learn about sex? What if he told her too much? Or not enough? What if someone tries to take advantage of her? He'd kill them. Even someone she was dating, he would have to know she was in good hands._

_He groaned and ran a hand over his face. He couldn't stalk her everywhere she went. The only solution he had was to each her how to defend herself and how to conceal a gun. No, he couldn't give her a gun. A stun gun, perhaps, but not a real gun. What if she didn't like violence when she grew up? What if she didn't like to hunt? Or didn't want to eat meat? Shit, what if she grew up and hated him?_

_Merle started laughing. "Relax, Darylina. It'll be fine."_

_"We don't know that." He lifted his head. "Fuckin' "what ifs"." He ran a hand through his hair. What if Celia did something to put her at risk? What if she was still using even now? He didn't know that she stopped for good. Merle scared the shit out of her, and Celia was staying with her mom, but that might not be enough. What if Celia causes her to have a disorder? Could he handle any of this? Raising this kid right? He had to try. She was his daughter, and he wouldn't abandon her. If Merle taught him anything, it was that blood was everything. He would do right by her, and if he couldn't, he could consider the alternative._

_"You got time."_

_There was a knock on the door, Daryl shook his head to clear out the thoughts that were overlapping, and Merle finished his beer. Daryl stood up and answered the door, finding no one there. He frowned and was about to close the door when he happen to glance down. There in a car seat, wrapped up in a pale pink blanket and sleeping like an angel, was his daughter._

_What the hell? He bent down and freed of her straps. He gently picked her up, seeing a folder lying underneath her. He scoffed at the sight of it and wanted to strangle Celia. He knew she didn't want the kid, but to just dump her on his doorstep with only a knock? That was disgusting. She had time enough to talk to him. Celia should have carried her inside. She deserved that._

_"Who was i—?" Merle cut off and his eyes fell on the sleeping bundle. "Jinxed it."_

_Daryl nodded toward the door. "There's a car seat, get it."_

_"Yes, Master." He rolled his eyes, but he grabbed the car seat and closed the door. He opened the folder and found the birth certificate along with some other papers and a note. "Well, at least she left a note."_

_"What's it say?" Daryl was about to turn when the baby girl in his arms opened her eyes. He didn't look away from her dark blue eyes as they didn't look away from his. She was small, but she looked healthy, had a good color on her, and she kind of looked like him. It was strange, because she was a fleshy lump right now, but she was a fleshy lump that looked kind of like him. She was beautiful._

_"Daryl?" Merle called again. "Daryl!"_

_"What?" Daryl didn't look at him._

_"Do you wanna know her name?" He walked over to his brother and niece._

_"Yeah." He briefly glanced over at his brother._

_"Ella. Ella Grace Dixon."_

_Well, he didn't hate it. He brought his daughter closer. "Ella, huh."_

_"Yep." Merle set the folder down. "I'm gonna go a pack of cigarettes. I'll be back." He left the house._

_"Ella Grace. You like that?" His voice was soft, and she seemed to like that tone. "You like that name?" He felt himself smiling. Ella. He had a daughter, and he was going to be the best damn father. "Hey, El. It's just you and me, kid—Merle ain't much help—but I'll do my best." She shifted a little. "Get comfy, I've got you."_

– – –

Sophia looked at Daryl for a long time after he stopped talking, and she knew there was more to the story. There was pain in the story; she could see that lingering in his eyes. He was wounded from his daughter, like her mom was wounded by Ed. They were similar, but different. Ed and Ella both left marks, scars, on Daryl and her mom. What happened to Ella? Or what happened _with_ Ella?

"Sophia?" Carol stepped out of the car and walked over to them. "Daryl."

He stood up. "Hey."

"Hi." She smiled a little. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see a friend, fix some wires for him." He pointed vaguely to the building beside them.

"Oh." She met his eyes. "And you're keeping my daughter company too?"

"Mom, he was just telling me about his daughter," Sophia insisted, not wanting another scene like before at the shelter.

Carol smiled more now, but said nothing to her daughter, just Daryl. "Thank you. I didn't mean to be so late, and I'm glad she had company."

"Don't mention it." He shrugged a shoulder.

"We have to get home." She set a hand on Sophia's shoulder. "I just have one question before we go."

"And that is?"

"Do you like brownies?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Maggie wanted to make you a gift basket for all your work at the shelter, and she wanted to make sure you liked them. Don't tell her I told you. I was supposed to be discrete, but I am not at all discrete." She laughed, though she felt a blush on her cheeks. "I'll...just wait in the car. It was good seeing you, Daryl. Have a nice day."

"Same to you, Carol." He gave her a half-smile.

She turned and walked away, letting Sophia say goodbye to him in private.

"When can I see you again?" Sophia asked once her mom was out of earshot. "To talk?"

"I'm here Tuesdays and Thursdays, kid." He ruffled her hair. "Get goin'. It's fixin' to rain."

She fixed her hair and gave him a slight glare then smiled. "It was good talking to you. I hope you feel better." She hugged him quickly then ran over to her mom's new car and got inside, waving as she pulled out.

He mentally kicked himself. He wasn't going to come and see her. He was just going to help Oscar. She wasn't Ella. He didn't have a right to keep her from being lonely, to be her friend. He needed to stop and let Carol and Sophia be. He wasn't...a father anymore. Sophia sure as hell wasn't his kid. Why was he so protective of her? He barely knew her. Moreover, he was a grown ass man, and she was just a kid; they had nothing in common! Why did he care?

He sighed. He knew _exactly_ why he cared. He wasn't there when Ella needed him most, so he wanted to be there for Sophia so when that moment came—if it came—he would be there to protect her. He would be there to keep her out of harm's way. He was being irrational, of course. Sophia wasn't in danger. He was just trying to save Sophia to make up for not saving _her._ There was no "making up". There was no "second chance". There was only the truth, and that truth needed to be accepted. He closed his eyes tight. His daughter... She was—

"Oh!" A girl ran into him. "I'm sorry!"

He stepped back. "No, it's okay." He bent down and helped her pick up her books. "Here."

"Thank you." She smiled at him and glanced over his shoulder.

He followed her gaze to Andrea Blake, who just exited the building he was supposed to enter about half an hour ago, and he straightened up. "You new?"

"We haven't decided on a school yet, but...is it that easy to tell?" She stood up.

"Yeah, you look lost."

"Well, I am." She laughed a little then shook her head. "Umm, I should—I should go, but thank you, sir."

"Be careful, kid."

"I will be. Thanks." She smiled then felt a little awkward, so she offered him a "Bye" before she ran over to her mom. "Sorry, I'm late."

"Don't worry. Your father's late too." She checked her watch. "And your sister."

"What did you expect? She knows me, so she's probably trying to find me, because she knew I would get lost. Luckily, I found a janitor who was nice and helped me find my way here. I'll text her." She pulled her phone out and began to text her little sister. "As for dad, let me guess: work?" She nodded. "Daddy's always working. He didn't even help us unpack last week. Why can't he just take _one_ day off?"

"You know why."

"He wants that promotion," they said together and then laughed.

"Let's go, honey. I have to call Karen about a house."

He shook his head and headed inside to do the job he was asked to do. Today of all days, he needed to keep busy. First the wires then something at Hershel's clinic and then he was going home and drinking his dinner. Shit, day was a bad fucking day.


	7. Nothing Left To Say

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing._**

––

"Maybe in a few months," Carol suggested. "I can continue to save, and—No. No, we talked about this. I won't borrow any money for you or from Hershel. I just won't."

_"Why not? I want to help. Let me help."_

"No, I don't want to owe you or anybody. I can handle this. I can, just keep me updated on the house."

_"I will."_

"Thanks. I have to go pick up Sophia from school then drop off some things and get some new clothes."

_"Hey, wait."_

"What is it?"

_"Let's go out. I'll be down there for Sophia—you know as soon as you tell her we're taking for some weekend—"_

"Karen, it's barely been two days," Carol interrupted her. "Just let me adjust to this."

_"To this? What do you mean?"_

"To having someone I can rely on. It's new to me, and sometimes I worry if it's just my imagination, because it's been so long since I have had someone actually have my back. I need to...adjust."

_"All right. I'll drop it. For now." _She paused._ "How are you today?"_

"I'm good. I've just baked about fifteen dozen brownies and cookies as a thank you, and I am thoroughly exhausted, but I'm good." She ran a hand over her face. "Want some brownies?"

_"Only if you have drinks with me Saturday night."_

"Karen—"

_"Please?"_

"No."

_"Why not? We both know you need a day off, and we need to talk about when I eventually take Sophia and what you're going to do about Ed. We need to talk, and drinks will help. Could you at least just think about it? We have a few days until this weekend, and you can let me know Friday, there's no rush."_

Carol said nothing, just ran her finger over the plastic cover over the brownies, not sure she wanted to get together and have drinks. It was something she hadn't done in far too long, and she didn't want to risk being drunk in a town where Ed was. Karen would be there, but Carol would have her guard up. She'd be extremely tense and paranoid. She wouldn't have any fun, and it would be a strained, uncomfortable evening. She didn't want to put Karen through that. She didn't even want to put herself through that, not after finally feeling safe enough to go to work and not make sure she knew where every possibly makeshift weapon was. She still kept an eye on all the exits and made sure they were accessible. She might never get over that, but it was okay. She was making progress, and that was really great, but it was too soon. It was much too soon.

_"I have to get Maddie, but let me know. If not this weekend, next weekend."_

"All right."

_"I love you. Be safe."_

"I love you too. I'll see you soon. Bye." She hung up and set the phone down on the counter, eyed it for a minute then shook her head. She had to pick up Sophia then pay Daryl a visit and lastly buy some new clothes for Sophia and herself.

She put the plate of covered brownies into a bag and grabbed her purse and keys. She headed out the front door and down the steps. Sophia would probably be by front of the building.

––

"Where are we going?" Sophia asked when she realized they weren't headed home.

"To see Daryl. Why? Is that a problem? I thought you liked him."

"I do. Kinda. I just didn't know you did." She glanced at her mom. "What are we here for?"

"Delivering some brownies."

"Maggie made brownies for him? Really?" She glanced into the back and spotted the bag resting on the seat. "What for?"

Carol shrugged a shoulder. "So, how was school?"

"Okay, I guess."

"You guess? What does that mean?" She glanced over at her daughter.

"It means nothing. School's fine." She shifted in her seat and rested her hands in her lap. "Does the radio work?" She reached over and turned the knobs, and by doing so answered her own question. She sighed and slouched in the seat.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just tired, and I have had this stupid song stuck in my head all day." She shook her head and gazed out the window. She paused for a moment, glanced over at her mom and then back out the window, asking, "Does Daryl know we're coming?"

"I tried calling, but he didn't pick up. If he's not home, we'll leave them somewhere he can find them."

"Like where? His mailbox?"

"If we have to."

Sophia could see the way her mom was looking at her from time to time, the worry in her eyes was starting to eat at her, and she sighed softly. She had been having a really bad day due to that rude girl at school. She didn't want her mom to know about Molly and her nasty comments, because she could handle. If her mom got involved, she would just have a sit down with Molly's parents and the principal and maybe even the teacher. She didn't want to deal with that, because it would only get worse and Molly was such a teacher's pet that Sophia didn't even stand a chance. No, she would handle Molly.

"So, how was our day?" Sophia turned to look at her mom, offering her a smile.

"It was good."

"What all did you do?"

"Not much. I cleaned a little." For the first time, Carol was able to not do a lot. She wanted to help Hershel with the farmwork, but he told her not to worry about it. She presisted, but he didn't want her to overwork herself, and he had Otis and Maggie to help him. Hershel then proceeded to try and talk her out of making dinner for them, but to that she didn't back down. She was making them dinner as a thank you, and she wanted to. Besides, she had to get rid of all of the sweets she'd baked. She'd only made a couple dozen in reality, though it felt as if she _had_ made fifteen dozen. And if that didn't do it, she was sending some to school with Sophia for her class.

Pulling up to Daryl's house, Carol parked just outside, and Sophia grabbed the plate of brownies and the mp3 player out of her backpack. Carol spotted a motorcycle peeking out from the side of the shed, and she wondered if he was home, because she didn't see his truck. She hoped he was home. She didn't want to leave the brownies in his mailbox. Mostly because he didn't appear to have a mailbox. There was a lot of nothing around here, and it was oddly nice. It was very...isolated and tranquil. She wasn't at all surprised Daryl here. It was a great place to live. It suited him well. Especially the house, which was kind of cute.

"It smells like dirt here." Sophia walked up the steps. "Humid dirt."

Carol laughed once. "What doesn't smell like humid dirt?"

"Humid water." She smirked. "Let's see if he's home."

Carol walked up the steps as Sophia adjusted the plate in her hand. "I can't be sure if he is or isn't. I don't see his truck."

"Maybe it's around back or something."

"Maybe." Carol reached out and knocked on the door.

_– – –_

_"What!" Merle growled, having been woken up after only two hours of sleeping. He was exhausted and his head was pounding, and he was going to kick in Daryl's teeth in if this had anything to do with that little potato with limbs. He was so fucking sick of Daryl waking him up to show him something she did or didn't do. It was pissing him off. She was a lump with limbs, and he was tired of losing what little hours of sleep he got for her. He only came here tonight because Daryl made him, little shit. Ugh, he was just tired. He didn't mean that. Probably._

_"Look." Daryl was smiling—actually smiling full and wide—and he turned his head back to his daughter._

_Merle was about to snap, but he saw why Daryl was so excited and let out a short chuckle. "Well, well, well." The little potato was crawling for the first time. It wasn't that amazing, but it was better than the last time Daryl called him out to see what the potato was doing. "Call me when she starts walkin'. Till then don't call me."_

_"Fine." He walked over to her and picked her up. "Hey, Merle?"_

_"Yeah?" He stopped before he went back into his room._

_"Why was Celia here?" He met his brother's eyes._

_He shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. Beats me."_

_"Merle."_

_He groaned. "Just leave it alone, and get that kid to sleep. It's late."_

_Daryl didn't back down, not anymore. "Tell me. If something's wrong with El or if Alyssa has said somethin—"_

_"No, it ain't Alyssa," he cut Daryl off. "It is 'bout the kid, though."_

_Daryl held Ella closer to him, as if his arms could keep her right there, safe and protected from Celia and her screwed up world. He knew his world wasn't much better, but he was more than willing to put his entire being into raising her while Celia would neglect her or use her for Welfare or worse. He didn't want to know what Celia was willing to do for her next fix. He wasn't going to expose Ella to that, to her. He didn't care if Celia was her birth mother, because only in blood was she her mother. What mattered about being a mother, Celia didn't have to offer._

_"What'd she want, Merle?"_

_"I don't know. I sent her ass packin' the minute she brought up the kid." He was telling the truth. The second Ella's name passed through her lips, he went off and kicked her off Daryl's porch. He was already livid at the sight of her. He knew how much that baby, his niece, meant to Daryl, and he knew for her to just dump the kid she didn't give two shits about it. That didn't change, no matter how much time has passed. He knew people like her—hell, he was her on bad days—and he wasn't going to even stand there and listen to her bullshit. Ella was the best thing that ever happened to Daryl, to him even, and he would fight for her for Daryl._

_He gave a nod. "It's late. I better put her to bed." He walked by Merle and toward Ella's bedroom, glancing back once before heading inside. He needed to speak to Celia, because they had an agreement. He set Ella down in her crib and scanned it, seeing the stuffed squirrel Maggie had gotten her was gone. He checked the room, but it wasn't there. He then checked the living room and his own bedroom, but it was gone. He frowned and gave her the other one Maggie had bought her then kissed her good night and went to his room to sleep._

_The next morning, Daryl called Maggie and had her take Ella to the park for a few hours while he drove to Celia's house. He wasn't surprised by the number of people there. It was always the same with her, and it made him even more determined to get her to back the fuck off. She would never win, neither in the conversation they were about to have nor in court. He was just making sure she stopped dropping by. He didn't want Ella to know her name, let alone be able to remembered her face and voice. He was more than done with her, and he had no patience today._

_He walked through the house and found Celia in the back room with someone who appeared to be her friend. "Out," he told the possibly friend._

_"Excuse me?" She shot up._

_"No, go, Rosita. It's all right." Celia gave her a small smile. "Go on."_

_The dark-haired woman looked at Daryl with pure annoyance, and he could see how protective she was of Celia. "You have ten minutes, and if you think I can't kick your ass from here to D.C, you're dead wrong." She pushed by him and headed out of the house to get the car loaded._

_"Have a seat." She closed the door as he stepped into the room. "Can I get you any—?"_

_"You know why I'm here, so cut the crap."_

_"Anything? I have water and pop." She crossed her arms and met his eyes, brow arched in annoyance. "Chips?"_

_"Celia," he growled._

_"At least have a seat. You're in my way."_

_"You're in mine."_

_She groaned. "For fuck's sake, get out of my fucking way!" She brushed by him and began removing clothes from her closet and tossing them onto the bed._

_"You goin' somewhere?"_

_With her back turned to him, she let out a small, weak laugh. "Just noticed?" She exhaled and turned to him. "Yes, I'm moving."_

_"Why?"_

_"Do you really care?" She propped a knee on the mattress and began removing the clothes from their hangers and folding them to be place into the almost full suitcase in front of her. "Don't bother. I know the answer. Just do whatever you came to do and leave me alone."_

_"Why do you wanna see her?"_

_"Because she's my daughter!" Celia snapped._

_"Yeah, and you cared so much when you dumped her on my doorstep in the middle of the night!" he retorted._

_"Excuse me, what?" She turned to him. "Your door—Your doorstep?" She scoffed._

_"What the hell are you talkin' about? You did it."_

_"So I did, apparently." She crossed her arms. "Look, just hear me out."_

_"No."_

_"Please, just—"_

_"No!"_

_"Would you just—?"_

_"No!"_

_"God damn it, Daryl!" Celia screamed. "Listen for one fucking second!" Her eyes were scorching, and she was breathing hard as anger spiked up inside of her. "I just want to see her once, and that's it."_

_"No."_

_"Why not?" She searched his eyes. "If it's me rubbing off on her, you don't need to worry about that. She's a baby, and she won't even remember me. That's what you want, isn't it? For her to grow up and be the exact opposite of me."_

_"Of us," he informed her. "To be better than us, that's what I want. That's how I'm tryin' to raise her. That's why I don't want you around her."_

_"Am I such a terrible person?"_

_"If you have to ask," Rosita entered and saw the looks they have her. "What? I didn't say I'd leave for the entire conversation. Besides, your cat will die of heat stroke if you don't hurry this up."_

_"Fine, excuse us." She walked out of the room and motioned for Daryl to follow, and after a warning look from Rosita, he followed. They walked to the back porch where Celia's car was, full of boxes and the trunk was open. He could see her cat in its carrier in the backseat. "Hey, baby." She smiled at the cat and set her fingers on the bars to the carrier. "We're leaving now, okay? Or soon," she looked at Daryl, "if you agree to let me see Ella or you give me a good enough why I shouldn't see her."_

_"'Cause you abandoned her in the middle of the night, you wanted to **kill** her, and you didn't even cared about how your lifestyle was gonna affect her!"_

_"I was completely healthy during my entire pregnancy, you jackass! And yes, I did want to get an abortion, sue me! I didn't go through with it because of you and Merle, so get the fuck over it. I did not abandon her! I left her with family! Did she get mauled by a bear? Did she lose a toe to frostbite? Didn't think so." She huffed. "What? You knew I was a bitch when you met me."_

_"Why do you wanna see her now?"_

_"Because I am moving," she reminded him. "And because she's my kid too. I'm not her mom. I don't want to try and be her mom, but I do want to see her one more time. Please, Daryl."_

_"No." He shook his head. "Stay away from her and me."_

_"When have I ever bothered you?" She shot up. "Not once! I took care of Ella when I was pregnant! I protected her! I fed her! I read to her! That's what I did! What the hell have you done that makes you such a great father?"_

_"I stayed." With that, he turned and walked away. There was nothing left to say here._

––

Daryl's eyes shot open at the sound of knocking on his front door, and he exhaled. Sitting up, he shook his head to clear it and heaved another sigh. He climbed out of bed and grabbed a random plaid button down on his way to the front door and slipped in to it just before pulling the door open. Squinting at the light that flooded in, he made out Sophia and Carol Peletier. He wasn't really surprised they were there. Maggie most likely gave them his address. For what, he wasn't so sure of.

"Are we catching you at a bad time?" Carol asked.

"Nah, not really." He cleared his throat. "What did you want?"

"To deliver some brownies." Carol set her hands on Sophia's shoulders. "They're best with coffee."

"Or milk." Sophia smiled a little. "Depends on what you like, I guess."

Daryl said nothing for a long pause, Carol frowned slightly, and Sophia noticed the bags under his eyes. He exhaled and stepped to the side. "Do y'all wanna come in?"

"Oh, no. We have some shopping to do, but—"

"Actually, I have to use the bathroom," Sophia softly interrupted her mom. "If that's okay."

"Yeah, it's the second door on the left." He gestured down the hall.

"Thanks." She carried the plate inside and placed it on the counter and hurried to the bathroom.

Daryl glanced at Carol, who still stood on his porch. "Thirsty?" He shuffled toward the kitchen. "Close the door behind you."

"Uh." Carol blinked but entered the house and pulled the door closed behind her. "No, I'm fine, but thank you."

He put on some coffee, not wanting to fall back asleep. The dream was just floating in the back of his mind now, the words and expressions hazy and distant, but the feelings were surging through him. He just wanted to wake up, and they woke him up. As he turned he noticed how stiff and uncomfortable she was. "You okay?"

Carol's focus was on the interior of Daryl's house; it was actually decent. The kitchen and the living room were combined, very like her own place, but it was bigger. The kitchen reminded her of a cave what with how the cabinets hung over the counters and how the bar wrapped around. It was a nice kitchen minus the pizza boxes and such that Daryl had just left about. She'd seen worse. And as for the living room, it was...cozy-looking. The brown leather couch was a little worn, but it only seemed to accentuate the room. There was one cloth armchair that wasn't as worn and was facing a coffee table with a handcrafted bowl in the center. From the clumsy design and cute childish images that were placed on the bowl, she knew it was by his daughter. That was all she saw of his daughter; there were no photos or shoes or clothes tossed about from her, just that bowl. Why was that?

"One second thought," she approached the kitchen, "I would like a cup of coffee."

"It'll be done in a minute. Have a se—er." He saw the couch was a mess and quickly went to clean it up. "Sorry about the mess. I don't really get much company."

"No, it's all right. Please, don't fuss over me."

He tossed the blankets and book into his bedroom and pulled the door shut. "It's gotta get clean eventually." He motioned for her to have a seat before he grabbed the plate of brownies and sat down beside her. "So, these the brownies Maggie made me?"

"Not exactly. I made these. Maggie passed out on the couch after helping her dad with the cattle." She rubbed her thumb over her hand. "I was in a mood to bake anyhow."

"Well, thank you." He removed the wrap and bit into one.

"Does she like art?" Carol nodded her head toward the bowl.

He chewed slower.

"Sophia used to paint when she was younger. Not so much anymore, but she loved it when she was a toddler." She smiled to herself in memory. "She tried to paint everything. God, even her clothes."

Daryl still said nothing, just swallowed and stared at the remaining brownie in his hand.

"Daryl?"

"How's work?" He set the brownie down and rubbed his hands together. "You like workin' for Hershel?"

"I do. He's a good man, and he's been very generous to me and Sophia. I don't know—" she stopped abruptly and let out a short chuckle. "That's a lie. I know _exactly_ where I'd be, where she'd be." She blinked hard, not wanting to cry in front of him. That wasn't why she came here. She just wanted to be nice and give him some baked goods, not bawl like a baby and make it incredibly awkward. "I'm sorry."

He gazed at her. "You did good. You made the right decision."

"I know I did. Thanks to Hershel." She rubbed her arm and exhaled shakily. "And to you."

"Me?" He stared at her in disbelief. "Why me?"

She opened her mouth then stopped and shook her head as an answer. "How—how are the brownies?"

"Uh, they're good. They're real good." He cleared his throat and rose. "Black?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your coffee. Do you take it black?" He stepped into the kitchen and grabbed two coffee cups. He was surprised they were clean and that he had two coffee cups.

"Yes, that's fine." Her eyes once again fell on the bowl. She stood up and joined him in the kitchen, fingers knotting. "Daryl?"

"Yeah?" He filled the cups.

"Why don't you have any pictures of your daughter?" She met his eyes. "I don't want to seem rude or as if I'm prying, I was just curious. You seem like you really love her, but...no pictures, no other artwork, and you gave Sophia that bracelet. Do you still see her?"

"Look, _Carol_," she didn't like how he said her name, "I—"

"Umm...Daryl?" Sophia slowly walked into the living room, eyes to the floor, wringing her hands. "I'm so sorry."

"What happened?" Carol went to her instantly, seeing the tears in her eyes. "Sophia?"

Daryl's anger vanished at the sight of the young girl. "What is it?"

"Um...I was washing my hands, and I didn't even know I dropped your mp3 player, so...when I stepped back, I...stepped on it. I broke it." Her voice broke, and tears ran down her cheeks. She spent most of the time in the bathroom panicking about it, too scared to come out. She knew he was going to be so mad at her. She just knew it. "I'm so sorry!"

"Kid, don—don't cry. It's all right." He walked over to her and bent down. "It's okay. It's just a stupid piece of junk anyhow. I didn't use it, so no harm done."

She lifted her eyes. "You're just saying that. You don't mean it." Tears flooded her eyes. "You're mad at me."

"Shh, honey, shh. Are you sure it's all right? We can buy another one," Carol offered.

"Don't bother, and I ain't just sayin' it. It's really okay." He reached over and wiped away a tear. "Stop. It's okay."

She hugged him tightly, surprising him in the best way, and she snuffled softly, so glad he didn't hate her. She was so afraid he would hate her. They weren't really friends, because kids and grown ups aren't ever really friends, but he was her only friend. She didn't want to lose him. "I'm still sorry."

"And it's still okay."

Carol saw the look in Daryl's eyes and averted her eyes to the ground, letting him hug her a second longer. "Sophia, baby, let's go wash your face."

She nodded and let Daryl go then walked back to the bathroom with her mom. After wetting a washrag Daryl had given her from the closet, Carol gently wiped away the tear stains with warm water, and Daryl tossed the mp3 player into the trash, reclaiming his earbuds that no longer had a purpose. He set them on the counter and looked over when Sophia and Carol exited the bathroom.

"Thank you for the...talk," Carol told him, "but we really should go."

"Yeah, well...thanks for the brownies and the company." He gave a small smile.

"We're leaving?" Sophia frowned. "Is it because I cried?"

"No, it's because it's a school night, and we have two more errands to run." She smiled. "We'll see you later."

"How?" Sophia mumbled.

"I'm sure I'll see you around, kid." He smirked and walked them to the door. "Bye."

"Bye." Sophia gave him a quick hug.

"Goodbye. Have a nice night." Carol walked down the stairs and headed toward the car with her arm around Sophia.

Sophia waited for her mom to unlock the car door, looking through the trees around Daryl's house, and she spotted a treehouse. It was simple and appeared to have not been used in quite some time. It was cute though. She wondered if Daryl ever went up there. It was a mess, but he still could go up there. Did he go up there with Ella? Did he build it for her? He probably did.

Carol followed her daughter's gaze when she didn't get into the car when the door was finally opened. She spotted the bottom of a treehouse through her window, her gaze moved back to Daryl's house practically nestled in the woods away from the world and frowned. What was he running from?


	8. Goodbye, Old Friend

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing._**

––

"Why don't we try dinner first?" Carol suggested. "We can come over there or go out, because honestly we can't fit five people at my table. Maddie would be in sitting somebody's lap. Sophia too. Maybe even me."

She laughed. "_All right. We can go out to eat on Friday. How does that sound?_"

"Perfect. Now, if you'll excuse me, my break is now up."

"_All right. I'll see you then._"

"Love you. Goodbye." She hung up and left the back room. She saw Daryl Dixon pacing alone in the front room and blinked. "Uh...Daryl?"

He walked over to her. "Is Hershel here?" His eyes were glossy, and she could feel how upset he was. He didn't appear to have an animal with him, so possibly this was something else entirely.

"Yes. I'll get him."

He nodded and backed up, rubbing his jaw. He watched her leave then went to his car and grabbed the cage, gently pulling it out of the front seat. He hurried back into the clinic, Carol and Hershel were waiting, and Hershel guided him into the exam room. Carol lingered in the doorway, eyes on the animal in the cage and then on Daryl. He was rubbing his jaw with his hand, the other on his hip, and he was rooted where he stood.

Hershel asked what was wrong with the animal, and Daryl explained, his voice stammering, the pain evident in his glossy blue eyes. Carol had never imagined Daryl this way. He was panicked and a complete mess. He wasn't even able to calm down. He was so worried for his pet—no, for a part of his family—possibly dying on him tonight that he couldn't calm down to properly explain what happened and how long it had been happening.

Daryl's eyes were on the white and gray rabbit on the exam table that wasn't really moving, and he ran his hands through his hair, his eyes burning, but no tears flooded his eyes. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She wasn't going to leave this room alive, was she? This was it. Time was up. Time was always up in his life. Everything was over much too soon.

_– – –_

_"No!" Ella shook her head._

_"El, we talked about this," Merle reprimanded. "Get in."_

_"No!" She crossed her arms over her chest and stood her ground. "I won't go!"_

_"You gotta go. Come on now, honey."_

_"You can't make me!" She turned and ran out of the room only to be captured by her father. "No!"_

_Daryl smiled. "Yeah, it's time."_

_She groaned. "Lemme go!"_

_"No." He turned to Merle. "I got it."_

_"Good." He rose and headed to the porch for a smoke._

_"It's time for bed, El." He sat down on the bed. "It's late, and we have plans tomorrow."_

_"What plans?" She sat down on her bed._

_"Someone wants to meet you. She's an old friend." He pulled the covers back. "C'mon, don't make this harder than it needs to be."_

_She pursed her lips for a minute, and he was ready for a fight. "Okay." She lied down and rested her arms over her stomach. "Good night, Daddy."_

_"Good night, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead and tucked her in then flicked the light off and stepped out, pulling the door closed behind him. He joined Merle on the porch, climbing onto the railing and sitting with his back against the house. "She's out."_

_"About damn time. Kid's a ball of fuckin' energy." He kicked ashes into the yard. "You tell her?"_

_"Not the details." He lifted his leg and rested his elbow on his knee. "She'll probably figure it out. Kid's so damn smart."_

_"One good thing about Celia," Merle mused. Daryl flipped him off, and he laughed. "Daryl, all she got from you is your eyes and hair."_

_He scoffed. "She's three. We don't know who she's more like."_

_"Best hope it ain't Celia."_

_He exhaled. "I was at the doctor's with her yesterday, just waitin' for her to get call for her check up, and I read this article. It was nature verses nuture." He glanced up as Merle scoffed, and he shrugged a shoulder. "Just... I can raise her to be better than me and you and Celia. I have to."_

_"Get some sleep." Merle padded down the steps toward his bike._

_Daryl exhaled slowly then looked at the front door and rose. Opening it, he found Ella on the other side, and he smirked and bent down. "Hi."_

_"Hi."_

_"You got ten seconds."_

_She smiled then took off running down the hall._

_"Ten!" He went after her._

––

_Daryl opened the front door that next afternoon, wishing he had better plans on his only day off. He frowned a little at the sight of Celia—pale, hazy eyes, skinny as shit—and wondered what happened these last few years that made her look this bad. When they spoke on the phone, he could hear how much this meant to her, and as much as he wanted to tell her to fuck off, he couldn't. She needed to see his daughter one more time before she could move on with her life, and this was the very last time. He wasn't going to let Celia have Ella permanently, or allow them to met again after today._

_"Hello, Daryl." She smiled a little._

_"Celia." He didn't move aside. "What's in the purse?"_

_"Gum, a cell phone, a wallet, some vitamins and a toy for Ella." She showed him, moving hair out of her face. "Where is she?"_

_"In her room." He let her inside. "Second to the right."_

_She nodded and walked down the hall, finding the room with her daughter playing inside. She was in jeans and a little pink blouse, playing with some stuffed animals, her hair down her shoulders, tips curling. Celia took a deep breath at how beautiful and healthy their little girl was, pushing back the tears and entered the room. "Ella?"_

_She looked up, having the same eyes as her father. "Who are you?"_

_"I am a friend of Daryl's." She sat down beside Ella. "You can call me Celia."_

_Ella looked her over, studying her face and pressing her lips together, not sure if she believed Celia from the look on her face, but she smiled. "Hi, Celia."_

_Celia smiled and tried not to cry. "So, what are you playing?"_

_"War."_

_"What?"_

_"My toys are at war."_

_"Why—why are they at war?"_

_"Because I dunno what to spend my birthday money on." Her face scrunched up a little. "I wanna buy two things, but Daddy says I can only get one, and I dunno which is better."_

_"Oh, I see. What are these two things?"_

_Her face lit up. "I want a pet. Daddy said no to a squirrel and a mouse, but I can get a couple fish or a bunny. I want the bunny, but I can get more fish."_

_"That is a problem. Well, why don't we see who wins?" Celia picked up a stuffed bird. "What does this side win?"_

_"The bunny."_

_"Okay, I'm on Team Bunny then."_

_"Okay!" She grinned._

_"Okay." Celia grinned back._

_Daryl sat in the living room, listening to ever word they were saying as the TV played some stupid cartoon that Ella normally watched, and he was able to block it out by now. He was cleaning his crossbow and shotgun because he hadn't cleaned them in quite some time, and he and Merle might go out. He doubted it. Maggie had a dentist appointment, but just in case she could make it, he ought to prepare. __He set the shotgun down as Ella came barrelling from her bedroom, grinning widely, and he caught her by her hips and lifted her up onto his lap. "What?"_

_"A bunny! I lost, but I want a bunny!"_

_"All right, get your boots and coat. We'll go buy a bunny."_

_She hugged him. "Thank you, Daddy!"_

_He smiled a little. "Go." He set her down._

_"Can Celia come too?" She grabbed her rainboots._

_Celia stopped in the hall and looked at Daryl. "Could I?"_

_He gave a nod and grabbed his boots. "You hungry?"_

_"I'm starving," Ella replied._

_"When ain't you hungry?" he teased._

_She stuck her tongue out._

_"How 'bout you?" He looked at Celia._

_"Oh, I'm fine." She smiled a little, happy he thought to ask. "Whose car are we taking?"_

_"Mine." Daryl grabbed Ella's coat and helped her into it. "You bring a coat?"_

_"I'll be fine."_

_They left the house and piled into Daryl's truck, Ella got to pick the station, and Celia asked Ella about the type of music she liked. Daryl saw how close to tears Celia was the entire drive and how she seemed to just love the sound of Ella's voice. He didn't know why she wanted to see Ella again after all this time. He wanted to say no, keep how he was the last time, but Ella had changed him. Day by day, she was changing him, and he wasn't the same person he was three years ago. He would never be that man again._

_Daryl let Celia go with Ella to choose which bunny she wanted while Daryl bought what the bunny needed. He returned to them as Ella finally decided on a gray and white one. She didn't know what she was going to name her just yet, but she had time. Celia offered to help pay for the food and cage, but Daryl said no. It was his birthday gift to her, and even if it took what felt like six months in kid years for her to decide, she did. He was expecting her to come to him the next day with a decision, but apparently Maggie got into her head and made really think it through. Maggie was good for Ella, and he was glad she was in her life. She would need someone female to talk to one day._

_He drove them back to the house after picking up something to eat, Celia didn't want to stick around for dinner, but she wanted to have a word with Daryl before she left. She told Ella she'd be back to say goodbye, and Daryl sat her down to watch the last few minutes of her favorite show then followed Celia out to her car._

_"What'd you wanna talk about?" He ran his eyes over the woods._

_She crossed her arms and shuddered slightly. "I'm dying, Daryl."_

_He met her eyes and searched her eyes, seeing she was serious. "What?"_

_"Yep." She lowered her arms and let out a small laugh. "Cancer. My dad died of it, and my grandmother too, apparently. I'm not very...hopeful, though my mom tells me to be." She inhaled and looked back at the house. "I had to know she was in good hands, but I already knew she was. I just had to see. I had to see her before I die. She's so beautiful." Tears filled her eyes. "And happy."_

_He clenched his jaw. "How long?"_

_"I don't know. I don't want to know, you know?" She sniffed. "I just want to be me when I die, and I wanna be with people I love. My sister and Rosita are taking me on a short trip then I'm moving in with my mom."_

_He barely nodded. "Sounds good...I guess."_

_"It'll be great. I'm really looking forward to it." She cleared her throat. "I doubt my body could take the treatments, and if they did, what do I have to live for? I've messed up my life, and I nearly took away the one amazing thing I did."_

_"You haven't messed up anythin'."_

_"Yes, I have, Daryl. You hate me, so don't give me pity now that you know I'm dying." She shook her head. "I'm glad you agreed to let me meet her. If I had died without ever seeing her face..." She sighed. "I'm gonna say goodbye and then go. I have visit my mom while I'm here, and my flight leaves in a few hours, so excuse me." She walked back into the house to say goodbye to her baby girl._

_Daryl stood in the same spot and didn't move. He had so many ideas of what that conversation would be about: her wanting to try joint custody, having Ella spend some time alone with her, having Ella come over for dinner some evening. He never thought she would say she was dying. He never even had that thought cross his mind. He knew she looked paler and skinner, but Celia did a lot of stupid things to herself, so he just assumed it was some drug or maybe an eating disorder. Jesus Christ. Fuck._

_"You have to be a good girl, okay?" Celia told Ella. "You have to eat your veggies and do your homework and get into a good college. Don't ever let someone force you to do anything."_

_She nodded then frowned. "Why are you crying?"_

_She smiled though. "Because I'm just so glad I met you. Daryl is so lucky." She grasped both of Ella's hands in hers. "I have to go home, but I want to give you a hug. Is that okay?"_

_"I like hugs." She pulled her hands free and hugged Celia. "I like you too."_

_Celia hugged her tightly, but she didn't want to cry all over her, so she bit her lip and held on for a moment longer. She took that moment to memorize the way Ella: how her hair smelled, how she buried her face in Celia's shoulder and how her little hands felt on her shoulders. She didn't want to forget. She had a lot of shitty things happen to her in her life, but having this beautiful girl was not one of them. She was going to leave this world, but Ella was just about to start living in it. She was so proud of her. "It was so great to meet you, angel." She released Ella._

_"Are you sad?"_

_"No. No, I'm happy." She smiled once more. "I have to go, so good night."_

_"Good night." Ella smiled back._

_She rose and hurried out the front door, brushing by Daryl and almost running to her car. She couldn't find the right key as tears bunched up in her eyes, and she felt someone behind her. She turned, and Daryl took her keys and unlocked the door. "Thanks." She took the keys and wiped her eyes._

_"Here." He pulled out his wallet, opened it and gave her a picture of Ella._

_"Really?" Her voice broke, and he held it out. "Thank you so much. You don't know what this means to me." She held it to her heart._

_"It's too late, isn't it?" She dropped her eyes, answering him with silence. "I thought so. Celia I knew... She would've fought like hell to live."_

_"What's the saying? A sad soul kills faster than any germ." She shrugged. "Karma is a bitch, but so am I." She laughed, short and humorless. "Don't let her be like me. Don't let her grow up and turn into us. She can be so much better."_

_"She will be better."_

_She punched his shoulder lightly. "You had better keep your word, so I'll kick your redneck ass from the grave, Dixon." She sniffed then looked him over and nodded. She got into the car and pulled out, though Daryl could see her shoulders shaking as she drove away._

_He went back inside and found Ella on her knees in front of the cage where the nameless bunny rested inside. He pulled down two plates and two forks and a spoon, grabbing the bag of food. "She got a name yet?"_

_"Yep."_

_"What is it?" He began to spoon mashed potatoes out onto the plates._

_"Celia."_

_He smirked. "Well, Celia's sleepin', so go wash up for dinner."_

_––_

_That night when Daryl tucked her into bed for the night, Ella asked him one question before he left to go to his room to sleep. He wasn't surprised that she asked. She was a smart kid. She looked at him with those big blue eyes and asked—more like said, "Celia's my mommy, isn't she?"_

_"Yeah."_

_She nodded, yawning and rubbing her eye._

_"Do you wanna talk about it?"_

_"No, too tired." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Good night, Daddy."_

_"Good night, honey." He kissed her forehead._

– – –

Carol stood in the doorway as Hershel put the rabbit out of its misery, Daryl stormed out of the room, and Hershel let out a sad sight. Carol jumped, gasped and spun around when Daryl slammed his palms into the wall and caused two of the pictures hanging up to fall down. He then punched the wall and let out a soft whimper, clenching his jaw tightly. She heard Hershel leave, most likely to get the broom and dust pan for the broken glass, after covering the animal.

Carol walked over to him and set a hand on his arm, but he had his head hung so she couldn't see his face. "Daryl." She spoke softly. "Daryl, don't, please."

He inhaled sharply and shook his head, punching the wall with his other hand. That was all that was left. That's all he had left of her. She was dead and now so the rabbit. He knew it would happened. It was only a matter of time. Everything died, and everyone died. Son of a bitch! He punched the wall again and again. He would much rather feel physical pain than this relentless waves of emotional he was drowning in.

"Daryl!" She grabbed his other arm. "Stop, damn it! Please!"

He flinched, exhaling another soft whimper, not from her touch, but her tone. He heard concern and panic. He hadn't heard that tone from anybody toward him in many years. He wasn't sure how to respond. He lifted his head and saw the concern in her big blue eyes, and he swallowed hard, pulling his arm free from her grasp as if her touched burned him. He plopped down in the chair nearest to him and ran his hands down his face, breathing heavily.

"Just breathe." She sat beside him and rubbed his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

He rested his face in his hands, not speaking, only shifting his shoulder so her hand fell off. He didn't want her to touch him. He was so very sick of pity. He didn't need hers.

"I'll get the first aid kit," Hershel said once he saw Daryl's knuckles.

"I'll do it." Carol rose and retrieved the first aid kit from the back. She returned to her seat and placed the kit on her lap, opening it and glancing at Daryl. "Let me see your hand, please."

He sat back, hands on his knees. "It's fine, just lemme—" He looked down as Carol gently grasped his hand in hers and gingerly wiped at his bloody knuckle with a wet cotton ball. She was so focused on his knuckle, and he watched her as she worked. He was so used to people just leaving him be or telling him to just leave. It must be the fact that she's a mother. She saw a scratch and felt the need to clean it; to kiss it all better.

Once his knuckles were clean, Carol decided his wounds needed to breathe and didn't wrap them. Daryl rose and left to the speak to Hershel about Celia. Carol threw away the used cotton balls and glanced at the blanket that was cover Celia. She felt bad for Daryl. He looked so lost and helpless when Hershel spoke, and now he was leaving alone. God, that poor man.

––

Carol went over to Daryl's house the following morning after taking Sophia and Beth to school, and she placed a basket on the doorstep. She didn't have a lot to offer, but Sophia had picked some lovely wild flowers, made a sweet card and Carol bought some assorted nuts and fruits. Having something healthy would be better than junk. From the look of his house the last time she was over here, he ate enough junk and fast food as it was.

She looked up when the door opened and Daryl looked back at her. She shot up, the basket still on his mat, and he eyed her. "What are you doin' here?" It came out as a throaty growl.

She began to hastily explain. He just looked at her with burning eyes, and she stopped talking and averted her eyes. There was a moment of silence, Carol inhaled quickly and turned her eyes to him. "I just wanted to bring you something. Sophia did too."

"What?" He used the same tone, his eyes dark.

"Because...I was worried about you, and Sophia wanted to make sure you were all right." She interlaced her fingers, not wanting to nervously knot them together. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." He cleared his throat, and the tone was gone. "Just tired, but I gotta get to work."

"Oh. Well, here." She bent down and picked up the basket, handing it over to him. "I hope you feel better." She smiled. "Have a good day at work too."

He snorted. "Sure."

"I mean it." She pushed the basket into his torso. "Goodbye." She turned on her heel and started for her car, digging her keys out of the pocket to her long cardigan.

He sighed and tossed the basket inside on the chair by the door, yanking the door shut and going after her. "Hey, wait." He caught her by her car. "Thank you."

"You don't have to tell me thank you if you don't mean." She met his eyes. "I should have called, but I was in a rush to take Sophia and Beth to school. Maggie had a test, and we were already behind schedule."

"I wasn't just sayin' it." He stepped back. "I meant it."

She smiled a little. "Then...you're very welcome, Daryl."

He started to return her smile then stopped. "Tell Sophia I said thanks too."

"I will." She unlocked the door. "Have a nice day."

"Yeah, you too." He backed up and watched her leave then climbed into his truck and went to work.

_You have to give people a chance, Daddy. Be nice. You told me that. Listen to yourself._

He sighed and gazed out the windshield. Worse mistake of his goddamn life.


	9. Kiss With A Fist

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing._**

––

Sophia followed her class to lunch, but took a turn to the bathroom when the teacher wasn't looking. She hurried into a stall and locked the door. She removed her jean jacket and set it on the floor, sitting down and pulling out small book from her pocket. She turned to where she stopped reading and placed the book on her upraised legs, beginning to read.

She read halfway down the page when she heard someone enter the bathroom. Her heart danced in her chest as she pulled her legs in tighter. She saw one pair of feet walk by, a hand pushing in each door just to make sure of something then the feet returned, and Sophia recognized the hem of the dress. It was her teacher, Ms. Mary. Sophia held her breath, but she knew it was too late.

"Sophia?" Mary gently knocked on the door.

She said nothing, just wondered if she could crawl through the space under wall to the next stall. She probably couldn't. She might as well not make this worse. "Yes?" Her voice was small, unsure.

"It's lunchtime, and you didn't ask to use the restroom."

"I...really had to go."

"Sophia, don't lie to me. You're already in trouble for leaving without permission."

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm not hungry." She averted her eyes. "I'll go the cafeteria."

Mary studied Sophia's face for a long time then nodded. "Why don't you go get your lunch and come join me in the classroom?"

"What?" She turned her head to peer at her teacher.

"Come and eat with me. I don't bite, and I could use some company."

"Umm, okay."

She smiled. "Okay."

– – –

"If I ever go missin'," Beth began as they walked into the house, Sophia behind them to get help on her math from Beth, and Maggie hung her coat up, finishing with, "Yeah, I'll use your most liked selfie."

Beth glared. "I was bein' serious!"

"So was I." Maggie smiled. "All right, I'll leave you two to your homework. If you need me, just call, but I don't know if I can come right away."

"We'll be fine." Beth crossed her arms loosely. "Patricia and Otis are here if we really need help, so just go. We'll be good...young people. I swear." Beth hated when Maggie called her a kid, so she said young person so Maggie got the point. Maggie still call her a kid, though.

"You had better be. I don't want to come and spend the night here again, Beth."

"I'm not grounded anymore. I served my time, Warden and I didn't even tunnel out of my room with a spoon."

"I am not your warden." She glared. "And just for that, if you ever go missin', I ain't even goin' to look for you."

"Oh, please. You would run all over tryin' to find me."

"Nope." Maggie smirked at Sophia. "Have fun with math." She left the house and headed to her car.

"We may not seem like we have the best relationship, but she loves me." Beth led Sophia to the dining room where they could do their homework. "Do you like grapes?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Good, because we have a lot, and Maggie doesn't like that they have seeds in them." She set her backpack down on the table. "I'll get us some. Be right back."

Sophia sat down and emptied her backpack, pulling out her English workbook, math book and a notebook. She grabbed a mechanical pencil from her pencil pack and opened her notebook. "Do you have a calculator?"

"Yeah, let me check the drawer. If I'm not back in ten minute, send help."

– – –

After her shift ended, Carol purchased a new phone then went to the store to buy ingredients for dinner. She didn't know what Sophia was in the mood for, but she wanted a pot of chili. It sounded good, and it would last for a while. If she wanted to buy a new house, she was going to need money, so she needed to start budgeting. She could make it work. She had no choice.

She grabbed some spices, a girl ran by followed by another girl who bumped into Carol and caused the bottle of garlic salt to be knocked out of her hand. A woman was following them, and she saw what one of her daughters did and picked up the bottle before Carol had a chance to even bend over. She gave an apologetic smiled to her. "I am so sorry."

"No, it's all right." Carol took the spice back from the woman.

"No, it's not." She shook her head. "They're being rude. They should be paying more attention."

"No, it's really fine." She smiled a little. "I'm okay."

She smiled and held her hand out. "I'm Andrea."

"I'm Carol." She shook her hand.

"Well, Carol, it's nice to meet you." She crossed her arms as her daughters came back to her, both holding a different type of cookie. "Carol, these are my currently rude daughters, Penny and Iris. Girls, you owe this woman an apology."

The taller girl, Penny had her long brown hair over her should in a ponytail, her murky green eyes weren't like her mother's, so they were most likely like her father's. She was pale unlike her sister, Iris, whose hair was darker and slightly curly like her mom's. She had beautiful blue eyes and tanned skin like her mother. Penny who was most likely older held a different brand of cookies that were healthier than the one her little sister held.

"What did we do?" Penny asked, shifting her weight.

"Penny," Iris hissed, finding it rude that she would ask since it was pretty clear what happened, then turned to Carol, "we're sorry. We were rushing, and we weren't paying attention."

"I am fine," Carol assured her yet again. "Don't worry about it."

"We're still sorry," Penny told her. "We're just competitive."

"And starving," Iris added softly.

"We just moved back," Andrea informed her. "My husband had to move for work, but he's been moved back. Hopefully, this will last." She was so sick of moving.

"Oh." Carol nodded. "Well, I hope you all get adjusted soon."

"Thank you."

"There you all are." Phillip joined them. "Who's this?"

"Carol," Andrea answered. "Carol...?"

"Just Carol." She smiled a little.

She nodded. "Our lovely daughters bumped into her and kept going. They did apology, though." She set a hand on each of their shoulders. "She's okay and insists it was fine."

"Good. Good. They know better." He gave them a playful yet warning look then turned to Carol. "I'm Phillip Blake." He held his hand out, and Carol was a little reluctant to shake it, but she did. "Thank you for being so understandin'. Do you have kids?"

"What?" Carol tried to laugh lightly, but she couldn't really get it out. She didn't trust many people, and it was odd for someone to just ask if she had children.

"We're trying to find a good school for our girls," Andrea explained. "We've been asking everybody, and the answers are... Well, they aren't helpful."

"Well, I do." She nodded. "A kid. A daughter. I can give you some help on what schools are better."

"That would be great!" Andrea smiled. "I'd really appreciate it."

"Why don't you two do that, and we'll finish gettin' the snacks?" Phillip suggested.

"Sounds good. Just no more junk than necessary, please. We have had enough junk, don't you think?"

"'Course. I'll get somethin' healthy. Carrots sticks or somethin'." He led them away.

"Really, Daddy?" Penny and Iris asked.

"No."

Andrea watched them leave and shook her head. "I'll have to meet them before they checkout. I know my husband, and he didn't hear a word I said then. And if he did, they'll just talk him out of it." She laced her fingers together. "So, what school does your daughter go to? I came up here a while ago with my girls to check schools out, but I wasn't completely sure if we were moving or not. Now that we're back here again, I need to find a school for them as soon as possible. There was one I liked, but I don't know. What's your daughter's school like?"

Carol talked about Sophia's school with Andrea while she gathered the rest of the ingredients. Andrea was really nice and funny. She and Carol got along really well. She even invited Carol out for drinks. Andrea didn't know Carol was Karen's stepsister, so when Andrea mentioned drinks and how her friend Karen was coming, Carol told her. She got so happy and made the plans without even really asking Carol. Andrea knew Carol looked familiar, but she didn't really think about it. She had seen pictures of her and her daughter at Karen's house. Carol just smiled and kept walking. Maybe it was sign. And if it wasn't, at least she can see if she can handle the pressure of being in town. Maybe drinking wouldn't be such a horrible thing. Or maybe just going out with someone her own age and being to talk about money and the move and ask for advice.

"Well, I have to go meet them." Andrea smiled. "It was really nice meeting you. I hope you can make it Saturday."

"I'll try."

"Thank you for talking and for the suggestion. I'll go down to the school tomorrow." She saw Phillip and their girls. "There's Phillip. I have to go, but thanks again. I'll see you around."

"Yeah." She smiled.

They parted ways. Carol bought the items in her cart and drove home. She carried the bags inside and discovered Sophia wasn't inside. She exited the house and walked the farm to find them, knowing Beth probably wasn't where she was supposed to be. She found the girls by a water pump a ways away from the house, and she called to Sophia.

"It's almost time for dinner. Sorry, Beth."

"Don't be. It's probably time I got help Ma with dinner." She smiled and headed back to the house.

Carol led Sophia toward their house. "Did you finish your homework?"

"Yes, all of it."

"That's good." She rubbed her daughter's shoulder. "How was school?"

"It was school, not a major operation. It was fine." She shrugged off her mom's hand and padded up the stairs. "What's for dinner?"

"Uh...chili." Carol followed. "Do you want to help?"

"Sure. I'll chop anything that needs chopping."

"First why don't you just wash your hands." She pointed to the sink.

"Yes, ma'am."

They went into the kitchen, Carol emptied the bags and Sophia washed her hands. Balling the bags up and tossing them underneath the cabinet for a later date, Carol handed Sophia the can opener and the cans of kidney beans, smiling. Sophia took them with a smirk, and Carol laughed.

––

"All right, honey. Sleep well, okay?" She kissed Sophia on the forehead and turned the light off. "Good night."

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

She paused then shook her head. "I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled and stepped out of the room.

Sophia sighed softly. She wanted to have an actual conversation with her mom about her dad. She wanted to know what was going to happen. A divorce? She really hoped so. She knew her mom would never agree on joint custody, so she didn't have to worry about that. She was just worried about what would happened to them if Ed ever found them. They did practically run away. She didn't want her mom to get hurt again, or worse. She didn't want to go back to that house. She just wanted her mom to be happy. She just wanted to be happy. She had a feeling that something bad was going to happen, and she really hoped she wasn't powerless to stop it.

– – –

"What are you wearing?" the rude little brunette continued to harass Sophia for her clothes during physical education. "Did your grandma sew that for you? You know, after she dug it out of the garbage?"

Her friends laughed.

Sophia said nothing. They didn't even deserve her attention, let alone her response. She caught the basketball from her kind of friend named Patrick with black-framed glasses, and she was about to dribble it when the brown-haired girl—Molly, the most annoying and selfish being ever—slapped the ball out of her hand and got in her face, her big brown eyes full of annoyance. Obviously this girl had never been ignored before in her good life. She probably got everything she ever wanted at the drop of a few tears as well. Sophia couldn't stand people like that. It was disgusting. They were so ungrateful for what they had and never cared about anything but their next surprise. Sophia valued everything she had, but this girl most likely didn't, not the things that truly mattered anyhow.

"What, you can't speak? Are you stupid or just rude?"

"Molly, knock it off," Patrick demanded.

"All I did was ask a question," she shot back. "Polite people answer. Only retards and jerks don't. Well?"

Sophia just exhaled and rolled her eyes. She went to pick up the basketball to continue their game when Molly grabbed a handful of Sophia's short hair and jerked her head back. Since Sophia's hair was short, Molly's nails scraped Sophia's scalp and caused her to cry out in pain, and her little friends gasped and ran off. Sophia fell backward onto her butt, Molly punched her in the face, hitting her cheek, and Patrick called for the teacher, trying to pry Molly off Sophia. She managed to get one more hit in before Patrick had her on her feet, trying to be gentle, because he was a year older than her and didn't want to hurt her. He just wanted her to get off Sophia.

Sophia felt blood on her cheek as Patrick pried Molly off her, so she touched it. It was blood. She looked at the blood on her fingertips, remembering how her mom used to have her cheek busted open by Ed sometimes. She just snapped, her rage causing her breathing to increase. She shot up and punched Molly in the nose so hard she felt the crunch, and blood slid down the girl's chin. The teacher arrived at that exact moment, and she started to escort them all to the principal's office, but she saw the blood dripping onto Molly's shirt and rushed to help her.

Seeing the look in Molly's big eyes and how the teacher tended to her, Sophia knew how this would play out. She felt herself backing away, Patrick shook his head at her, trying to tell her to stop moving, but she couldn't. Then she fell back out of sight and turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could off school property, going to the one person who could help her, to the one person who would be willing to help her. She was going to be in so much trouble when her mom found out about this!

––

Hearing a persistent and loud banging on the front door, he groaned and made his way to the living room. He stumbled toward the front door, wondering who the hell was knocking at this hour. He opened the door, his eyes adjusting poorly to the sudden light, and he saw Sophia Peletier on his doorstep with a swollen, bloody cheek and a few scratches as well. He frowned and bent down, grasping her chin and turning her head to the side tenderly, seeing the blood was dry.

"What the hell happened to you?" He showed her in and closed the door, going to the bathroom to find the peroxide, bandages and a washcloth.

"There was...a really rude girl...in my P.E. class, and she...just attacked me." She waited in the living room, panting and swallowing, trying to use what little saliva she had to moisten her mouth.

"Shit." He flicked the light off and set the bottle and cloth and bandage on the table then lifted the young girl up and onto the counter, opening the bottle and moistening the washcloth. He gingerly wiped at the blood on her cheek. "Does it hurt?" He'd noticed her jaw tighten.

"A little." She peeked up at him, wondering when he was going to lecture her about fighting.

"Damn, a girl the same age as you did this?"

"She wears rings."

"Shit." He shook his head. "You get her back?"

She dropped her eyes. "I think I broke her nose."

"Well, good. I mean, not good, but...self-defense." The last thing he needed was Carol thinking he was teaching her fighting was good. He moved to the scratches then set the washcloth down and grabbed some ointment of the cabinet, smoothing it over her cheek. "What's her name?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does." He wiped his hands on the clean part of the washcloth and opened the bandage.

"Her name is Molly, and I don't know her last name." She blew out a sigh. "Mom will probably find out soon anyhow, so I guess she can tell you." She didn't want to face her mom, but she had to go home eventually. It wasn't like she could run away.

He stopped and looked at the time, seeing it was barely one then stepped back, narrowing his eyes at the young girl. He glared. "Sophia, you mind tellin' me why aren't you in school right now?"

She winced. "I'm sorry."

"That ain't what I asked."

"I—After the fight, I just ran. I was afraid, and I ran. I'm sorry!"

"Sophia! Sorry doesn't cut it! You left school grounds! You coulda gotten hurt! Or hit by a car or hell, even kidnapped! What the hell were you thinkin'?" He searched her eyes, but didn't give her time to respond. "And why the hell did you come _here_? Your mom's gonna be pissed at me! Not to mention she needs to know where the hell you went! She's gonna freak out when the school calls to tell her you _left_ campus!"

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I just—"

"No, you should have just thought this through! You shouldn't have left!" He scoffed and clenched his jaw. "You know how much your mom's had to put up with and how much she struggles with all of this, and you do this? Christ, Sophia, why did you do this?"

Her eyes burned, but she blinked hard to push them back. She didn't want him to see her cry. She didn't want to cry. She didn't know how hard this all was on her mom, not really. She was just happy that her mom had left her dad for good, but now...she felt sick and selfish. She knew she shouldn't have hit Molly. She wasn't even going to, but she just snapped. She couldn't help it. She was so tired of everyone telling her what she should do and just taking it. Ed used to tell her what to do all the time in the same tone as Molly, and it just made her see red. She couldn't stop herself. She didn't mean to attack her, but it just happened. And now her mom not only had to worry about suspension, but also that Sophia wasn't at school waiting for her. Sophia was technically missing, because nobody knew where she was. Oh, crap. Crap!

Daryl ran his hands through his hair and watched as Sophia's eyes filled with tears. He huffed and dropped his hands. "Hey." He closed the space between them. "Hell, I'm sorry."

She had her head down, and she wiped her eyes. "Could I use your phone?"

He frowned, hearing how thick her voice was. "Yeah," he whispered. He grabbed his jacket off the couch and dug out his cell phone since he had no idea where his home phone was. He handed her his phone and sat down on the couch, his eyes falling on the bowl in front of him.

Sophia put the phone to her ear, waiting as it rang, and she bit her lip, snuffling. She waited, wiping her eyes and steadying her breathing as her heart began to pound with each ring. She wondered if the school had called her mom yet. She wasn't sure if she should hope they did call or if she should pray her mom isn't too angry with her. She was going to be grounded, she knew. She just hoped her mom wouldn't freak out. God, please don't let her freak out.

"Hello?" Her voice was small. "Who is this?"

"It's me," Sophia whispered.

"Sophia? Where are you?"

"I—I'm at Daryl's." She swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I didn't mean—"

"I'm on my way," she interrupted her. "Stay there. I'll see you soon." She hung up.

She lowered the phone and clenched her teeth as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. She could hear the disappointment and the worry in her mother's voice. She set the phone down on the counter beside and slid off onto the floor. She covered her eyes with her palms and wiped at the fresh tears, not wanting to be red in the face with a puffy nose when her mom arrived. She walked to the bathroom and washed her face.

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip and watched Sophia walk by. He frowned at the sight of her, but he knew it wasn't his place to try and comfort her. She wasn't his daughter, and she wasn't his problem, but when the hell did he ever let that stop him. He stood up and checked the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water and some lunchmeat. He made two sandwiches, knowing the kid would probably be hungry, and if she didn't eat, he would put it away for later.

He was halfway through his sandwich when Sophia exited the bathroom, looking very sad. "C'mere, kid." He rubbed his hands together. "Hungry?"

She shook her head no.

"Well, if you are, here's a turkey and cheese." He pushed the plate toward her. "And some chips."

"I'm not hungry." She crossed her arms and didn't look at him.

"When's your mom comin'?"

"She's on her way."

He nodded. "Well, I'll gonna go check my mail. Stay here."

"I'm not going anywhere," she murmured.

He took the remaining half of his sandwich and left, walking to the mailbox that was at the beginning of his drive. He knew Sophia would eat the food he had if he wasn't around, so he just didn't need to be around. He was waiting for something anyway. He really needed it to be here. If he had to wait any longer, he was going to punch someone. Probably a punching bag. Damn, did all he ever get anymore were bills? Shit.

By the time he returned to the house, Sophia had eaten the sandwich and a few chips. He was going to talk to her, but he heard Carol pull up. He tossed his mail onto the couch and opened the door for her, Sophia walked over to the door behind him, and she braced herself. Carol got out of the car and ran over to Sophia, hugging her close, so glad to see she was all right.

"Are you all right?" Carol examined her daughter's face. "What happened?" She gently touched her cheek. "I know what happened—what they told me anyway—but I want you to tell me when we get home." She glanced at Daryl. "Go wait in the car."

Sophia walked over to the car, looking over her shoulder once before getting into the car. She buckled her seat belt and hoped her mom didn't get mad at Daryl. It wasn't his fault. It was hers. She was being stupid. She should have been calm. She should have been a lot of things. Ugh, she didn't want to talk to her mom about this. She was dead. She was so dead.

Daryl looked at Carol. "She just showed up. I suppose she ran here."

"Right." Carol inhaled calmly. "She just...came here of all places."

"What's that supposed to mean?" There was growl under his breath.

"I just think it's a little strange that my daughter ran all the way here when she could have just come to the clinic. It would have been easier and safer than coming here. The clinic is closer, and I'm there."

"I don't know why she came here. I was asleep, someone knocked on my door, and it just happened to be her. Ask her why, because I don't _know_ why she came _here_," he hissed.

"Why do I not believe you?"

Sophia looked out the window when her mom and Daryl began to argue, and she frowned. She looked out the driver's side window and then back to her mom and Daryl. She was already in trouble anyway.

"Just shut the hell up!" Daryl shouted over her. "Ain't guy in this world like Ed!"

"I didn't say—" She cut off, feeling a chill run through her, and she turned around to face the car. "Oh, no."

Daryl followed her gaze and paled. "Oh, shit."

The driver's side door was open and Sophia was nowhere to be seen.


	10. Lighter

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing._**

––

"If I was any more bored, I'd peel off my own skin." Beth sat with her legs hanging off the arm of the couch, her arms on her stomach, and she turned to look at Patricia. "Are you sure it's gonna rain? I can take a raincoat or my umbrella."

"You know how your daddy feels about you goin' out in the rain. It's gettin' colder too, so why don't you read somethin'?"

She sighed. "Fine." She closed her eyes and was still for about two seconds then rolled off the couch. "I'm gonna rearrange my room."

"Have fun."

"Yeah, fun," Beth mumbled as she walked to her room.

– – –

"Sophia!" Carol shouted. "Sophia, come out! Now!"

Nothing.

"She's probably hidin'." He grabbed his boots and slipped into them.

"Hiding where?" She faced him. "What are you doing?"

"Goin' to find your kid." He grabbed a hoodie and padded down the stairs. "C'mon."

"Why?"

He clenched his jaw and got in her face. "'Cause you can't track, and you'd just get lost. These woods are deeper than they look, so c'mon."

She nodded. "Okay."

They headed into the woods, Carol couldn't tell which way Sophia went, but Daryl seemed confident he was leading them toward her. She would have to explain her leaving to Hershel better than the half-assed note she'd written on her desk. She knew he would understand. She just hoped Sophia stopped this very un-funny game and called to them. She could get lost or hurt or worse. Why did she do this? It made no sense. Sophia has never acted like this before. Why was she acting like this now? What the hell changed?

Her eyes moved to Daryl as he ran his eyes over the ground in front of them. She followed close on his heels. "What else have you taught her?"

"Taught who?" He turned right.

"My daughter." Her voice was a growl.

He scoffed. "I didn't teach that kid nothin'."

"Then why did she—?"

"Look, I needa focus. Unless you want her to get lost."

She glared. "Fine."

They trudged through the woods, Daryl kept ahold of the hoodie, making sure Carol was behind him and not running off anywhere. He would make sure she was safe, both her and Sophia. He just had to keep his ears on one and his eyes on the other. He knew Carol was mad, but he didn't know why. It wasn't as if he and Sophia had spent weeks together. He only saw her a few times when he had to help his friend. He just gave her an mp3 player which she broke and spoke to her a little. He didn't rub off on her in any way. If he did, he didn't cause this. He never ran away, even when he should have. He never ran, not matter how bad it got, not matter how much he wanted to. Maybe it was he never learned.

She could see how much he wanted to find Sophia. She could feel it. It was strange how much he wanted to find her daughter. She didn't know how well Sophia knew him or how well he knew Sophia, but it was enough that Sophia ran all the way to him when she was in trouble, not her own mother. She wasn't jealous, just confused. Sophia wasn't the type to trust easily. Sometimes she would be brave and get to know people, but that was only sometimes and with kids her own age. She didn't understand what was going on between them. Sophia had never had a friendship with a man. She wasn't fond of men, but she said Daryl was a good man. How would she know? How well did Sophia know Daryl?

Daryl stopped and bent down, frowning slightly. _What the hell? _He moved twigs aside. Sophia couldn't have known Daryl could track to try and throw him off. Something was following her. He figured it was an animal before he even looked closely at the tracks. He smirked a little. It appeared Sophia was attracting a new fuzzy friend. Of all the animals... Either the world was crueler than he already knew it was, or this was just one asshole joke that he truly deserved.

Carol noticed how tense the muscles in Daryl's back became. "What is it?"

"Nothin'." He straightened up and continued walking. "Do you know where she might go?"

"No. I don't know this land at all, neither does she." She then scoffed softly. "Unless you showed her."

He clenched his jaw and spun around to face her. "What's your problem?"

"My problem?" She crossed her arms. "My problem, Daryl Dixon, is that my shy and once nonviolent daughter came to you after getting into a _fight_ and _leaving_ school grounds! That is my problem, Daryl! Do you know what could've happened to her?"

"What? Are you jealous?"

"Jealous? No, I am not jealous! I am pissed off! Do you know what could have happened to her? Well, do you? Because if you don't, I will happily fill you in!" She glared. "My husband will want me and Sophia back! If he had caught Sophia, I would be at his house right now, where he would beat the shit out of me and do something even worse to Sophia! I left to—to try and make sure that didn't happen! You went off on me when I was going to leave, go back that bastard, and yet you're okay with this?! What the hell?"

"I am _not_ okay with this," he shot back.

"Obviously you were, because she ran to you!" she shouted. "And why? Why to you? Did you have some huge influence on her? Did you guide her in a way I couldn't? Was there some friendship behind my back?"

"Oh, for Christ's sake." He sighed.

"I just... I don't understand. Sophia and I talk about everything, so why you?"

"Hell if I know," he said softly.

She swallowed a wave of emotions. "Before I wasn't implying that you and Sophia had some sort of—"

"I know."

"I just wanted to make sure you know." She met his eyes. "Thank you for looking after her, for tending to her wounds. I appreciate it."

"Don't thank me till we find her."

She nodded. "Lead the way."

–––

"So, how's unpacking?" Karen asked, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, tossing it to Andrea and taking one for herself.

"Somewhere." She opened it and took a long drink, exhaling blissfully at how it felt gently gliding down her dry, sticky throat, soothing her urge to cough. "The girls aren't helpful. They're fighting over who gets what room, so their boxes are just all over the living room." Karen laughed at Andrea's expression. "Not to mention, we have that fluff ball the girls call a dog running around."

"Come and sit." Karen sat down on the couch. "You didn't drive all the way out here just for a jog."

"That was a jog?" Karen nodded. "See, kids will do this to you. Or at least me." She plopped down and sighed. "Kids with hobbies, anyway."

"Maddie plays soccer, and I still—"

"One kid." She took another drink of water. "I have two. Penny, who plays the violin and piano, and Iris and her many, many hobbies." She set the bottle against her forehead. "That's partly why she won't unpack either. She's too busy playing to help."

"She's a kid. They play."

"Play, dig, sneak." She exhaled. "It's the move talking. I'm exhausted, and you know Phillip hasn't been much help. He's been working."

Karen frowned. "It'll get better. He's just...stressed. Moving is a stressful time."

"Yeah." She ran her hand through her hair. "Guess who I ran into at the store."

"Do I even want to know?" She took a drink of water.

"You do. Carol."

"Oh?" She closed the bottle. "How was she?"

"A little guarded, but she was all right. She even helped me find a school for the girls. I met with the principal this morning, and hopefully this evening, the girls will be ready for school. If they ever unpack." She tapped her nails against the bottle. "I may have to start harassing them."

"Let me know how that goes." She stood up then stopped. "Saturday, yes or no?"

"Yes, and Carol might be coming too."

"Really? She said no when I asked."

"I may not have given her a choice."

"See, as a sister, I can't do that, because I have to be understanding and loving." Andrea arched a brow. "I was also half-watching one of my shows. I hate guilt tripping Carol."

"Well, it's a good thing I am not her sister." She rose. "I'll get her to come and have fun. We'll be smart, but there will be drinks."

"Don't force her to say yes, please, just gently persuade her."

"'Gently persuade'? Are you her mother or her sister?"

"Sometimes I think both. Now shut up and drink your water."

"I'm shaking in my muddy Converse."

– – –

"How could she have gotten this far?" Carol asked, swatting a bug that kept trying to land on her. "She can run, but this seems ridiculous."

"Well, I ain't so sure is she make it this far." Daryl pointed through the trees at a family that were playing by the river. They had kids about the same weight as Sophia. "Shit."

"Well, now what?"

"You put this on." He held out the hoodie he'd been holding onto.

"Why?"

"'Cause it's gonna storm."

"It isn't—"

There was a loud boom of thunder that interrupted Carol, Daryl's brows rose along with a smug smirk, and she took the hoodie. They hurried back to his house, but the rain beat them. The ground might as well have turned into ice as they were slipping all over the place. Daryl was pissed, because rain like this—heavy and pounding—would wash away Sophia's trail. He was almost one hundred percent certain where he lost her trail and picked up the other kid's. He wondered where she was. There wasn't anywhere else she could be.

His foot landed in mud, and he jolted forward as he slid. "Shit!"

"Daryl!" Carol grabbed his arm, but he still fell on his ass in cold mud. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He looked at his hand and saw it was scraped. He climbed to his feet and looked at Carol, seeing something in her eyes. "What?"

"Why are you doing this?" She searched his face. "Why did you care so much? Not just now, because I know why you care now, but back at the shelter? Why?"

He said nothing for a long time. "Let's get outta this rain."

"Daryl." He stopped by the tone in her voice. "I am sorry for all that I accused you of at the shelter, but not once have I ever thought you were actually those things since. I trust that whatever relationship you have or don't have with Sophia isn't a harmful one. I just want to know what made you yell at me, made you want to change my mind, because _that's_ what I don't understand."

"We gotta find Sophia," was all he said.

"We can walk and talk," she informed, falling into step beside him. "It's not as if you have a hard time multitasking. You made it evident you could do both walking and tracking. I asked a simple question, and I'm not asking for you entire life story, just a simple answer to my simple question."

He rolled his eyes, murmuring under his breath, "Simple."

"I know my timing is shit, but what else do we have to talk about?"

"It ain't fuckin' simple," he shouted at her. They stopped walking, and silence surrounded them, his eyes aflame as he glowered at her with such anger and hatred, but it wasn't toward her. It was self-loathing. He was pissed at himself. Whatever made him so motivated haunted him every day, and Carol could see his pain knew no bounds. She knew that there was only one thing that could make Daryl this way. It was the same thing she feared would happen to Sophia one day had she stayed with Ed.

"I—"

"Just walk." His tone was a pained hiss.

She nodded.

They rain grew heavier, Daryl could barely see as water ran into his eyes, and he made sure Carol was close and safe. They walked as quickly as they could, Daryl kept his mind busy thinking of where Sophia might have ran to, and Carol looked for any signs of her daughter as best she could. The rain made it impossible. It was very like the rain that came down that night at the shelter. It was heavy, leaving an almost a dull ache when icy drops hit their skin over and over, and the sound was everywhere. It was above them, beside and below. It was bellowing, mirroring the pain that was echoing through Daryl that he thought nobody would ever see as he clenched his fist in assigned anger. It coursed through his viens like blood, yet it was so painful that there were no words to truly describe it. The sounds grew deafening. They could barely see, couldn't really their own footsteps.

It was a goddamn mess out here, gloomy with no hint of an end, and Sophia was enduring it all alone, like Daryl had endured it all alone. Nobody should ever have to be alone in a relentless storm that would flood and even destroy. He would find her. He had to. He couldn't just leave a little girl out in the rain by herself. It wasn't just rain; it was goddamn storm from hell.

"Daryl!" Carol shouted over the rain.

He didn't stop, just kept walking, seeing what he thought might be the path back to his house. He was in no mood to deal with Carol.

"Wait!"

He groaned and looked over his shoulder, seeing she was going off the path. "Damn it, woman." He hurried after her, knowing she'd only get herself hurt and lost out here by herself. As he approached her, he saw what captured her attention and ran to catch her.

Carol reached out to grip the wood step that led up to the treehouse Daryl had built for his daughter, Daryl smacked into her, his arms going around her torso, and she gripped the tree. "What are you doing?" she screamed over the rain.

"Go back to the house!"

"No, I know she's up there! I didn't think about it before, but I know she's up there!"

"I'll go!"

"No, it might be unstable! I'm lighter!"

"Pfft." He gripped the step and began to climb up. "Stay there!"

She groaned. "Be careful!"

He made his way up to the treehouse, surprised when only one of the steps came off and another broke on him. He thought they would have all gone to shit by now. He didn't see Sophia, but he heard shivering. He searched the small treehouse, seeing some of the boards had given out and the roof had fallen in some places. He could see this most likely happened just now with the heavy rain. There were a few fallen branches along with boards. He could hear the shivering coming from the corner of the treehouse, and he hurried carefully over there. He had to mind the loose floorboards, the questionable roof, and he had to make sure she was all right. He could see her now, her blue rainbow shirt and her rolled up shorts and worn tennis shoes, that mess of wet stringy light red hair clinging to her face. He smiled inside, glad to see she was all right.

"Sophia!" He could feel how sturdy the floor wasn't, and he reached his hand out. "C'mere!"

She lifted her head at the sound of her name being called and saw Daryl. She shuddered and slowly moved to stand up, and Daryl moved closer to help her over the fallen boards. She moved carefully, remembering the feeling of how the floor shifted under sudden movement, and she gripped his hand when she was close enough. She let him help her over the boards and hugged him, her entire body ice cold. "D—don't tell me." She closed her eyes. "I know it was stu—stupid."

"C'mon." He led her toward the door. "Here, get on my back."

"On the w—way down?!"

"Just hold on."

She let out a soft whimper but gripped his shoulder and climbed onto his back. She let out another whimper when he moved to climbed down, and she tightened her grip and squeezed her eyes shut, her heart thumping in her throat. She tried to not think about what was happening and focused on the sounds of the rain, and before she knew it, her mom was giving her a bear hug.

"Sophia."

"Let's get inside," Daryl suggested. "And get away from the treehouse. It might fall."

"Yeah, let's go."

The moment they were at the front door, they heard a loud thud that wasn't thunder, and Carol saw how the muscle in Daryl's jaw clenched. He showed them inside and grabbed some towels, handing one to Carol and Sophia.

"Power probably ain't workin'." He then tested the lights, and he was right. "I'll make a fire."

Carol used her towel to dry off Sophia's hair. "Do you have any wood?"

"Yeah." He pushed hair out of his face and began to build a fire. He glanced over at Sophia and Carol, seeing how Carol was tending to Sophia, ignoring herself. He turned back to the fireplace.

Once the fire was made, Daryl offered to dry their clothes. He had some extra shirts he never wore, because they were gifts from Maggie from a long time ago, and he didn't want them, but he didn't want to just throw them away. Carol accepted the shirts and even put their clothes in the dryer, so Daryl looked through some of his old camping gear, trying to find something to make some coffee in.

"Daryl?" Sophia called to him.

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?" She stood in the doorway in a shirt that dwarfed her.

"I'm lookin' for somethin'."

"Can I help?"

"I think it's best if you go back to the livin' room and get warm." He paused in digging and met her eyes. "I got this."

"Mmm'kay." She nodded and turned on her heel.

He returned to his search, Sophia ran back into the room and hugged him, and he let out a half-scoff, half-chuckle. He set a hand on her back, the other still holding part of a duffel bag, and she thanked him. He didn't say anything, just saw movement and then Carol in the doorway, but she gave a small smile.

"Sophia, honey, I told you to stay by the fireplace."

"Sorry." She released him and left with her mom.

"You could've just thanked him when he came back, you know." Carol set her hand around her daughter's shoulders.

"I know, but I didn't want to wait."

"Well, I think we've waited long enough to talk about what happened at school and why you ran."

Sophia paled and gulped. "Okay."

"First, what happened with Molly."

Distantly, Daryl heard Sophia and Carol's conversation, but as he sifted through the camping gear, he found an item he thought he had lost long ago with many other things. It wasn't important then, but it was now. It was more than important. He had very few things left of her, and this was one of her favorite things. She loved camping, loved the woods, just like him.

– – –

_"You believe this shit?" Merle scoffed. "Ain't no fuckin' way."_

_"Merle, just listen," Daryl began._

_"I ain't gonna listen! This is bullshit! It's fuckin' insane, that's what it is! When that son of a bitch was arrested, and you saw him on that paper, that was the first we'd seen of him in years. Hell, we both wanted nothin' to do with him years before." Merle was beyond livid, beyond reason. "You know what he does. Blood don't mean shit to him, so you tell me why you're lettin' that worthless son of a bitch stay here with her."_

_"It ain't just gonna be her," Daryl reminded him. "It's gonna be me and her and him. He'll sleep in my room, and I'll take your old room. It's just for a few days."_

_"We both know he's gonna break his probation, so why bother? You're just puttin' her at risk!"_

_"I told her to give people a chance, to—"_

_"People! He ain't nothin' but shit in a human body!"_

_"God damn it, Merle!" He rose off the couch. "If I'm gonna teach her, I have to set an example. That's why I'm doin' this, to show her that maybe some people can change. If not, I'll throw his ass out and try a different approach, but for now I'm doin' this."_

_"It's a mistake!" With that, Merle left._

_Daryl groaned and racked his hands through his hair. "Shit!" He plopped down on the couch and shook his head. God damn it to hell, son of a bitch, he was actually going through with this. Christ._

_––_

_Daryl set a plate of pizza rolls and fries down on the table for Ella and himself. "Grape or soda?"_

_"Grape, please." She shifted in the chair. "Dad?"_

_"Yeah?" He filled a glass with grape juice._

_"What do I call him?" She glanced back to the hall where Joe was currently resting in Daryl's bedroom._

_He sat down across from her, setting her glass down. "Uh, what do you wanna call him?"_

_"I dunno." She thought about it for a long time. "Jojo?"_

_He snickered. "Don't, just call him Joe."_

_She nodded and ate a fry. "Dad?"_

_"What?" He took a drink of his water._

_"Where's Uncle Merle? He didn't come today or yesterday." She frowned. "I miss him, Daddy."_

_"Yeah, I do too." He sighed. Merle might not be back for a long time. Daryl really pissed him off with this, and as much as Daryl hated the man in the other room, he had to be willing to forgive him. He had to prove to himself that he was stronger than that asshole. He knew he was a better father, and Ella made him a better person, but he needed to prove this to himself. If he really has changed, with this, he'd know for sure._

_"Oh!" Ella smiled wide. "Can we do that clay thing again? Please?"_

_"That pottery class Maggie dragged us to?"_

_"It was fun!"_

_"For you," he murmured around a pizza roll._

_"I wanna make a teacup."_

_"We'll see."_

_She smiled. "Okay."_

_"That don't mean we're goin'," he insisted._

_She still smiled._

_––_

_Daryl scanned the cabinets, seeing they needed food relatively soon—now actually—and he grabbed a can of tuna. He saw the disgusted look on Ella's face and set the can down. "Fine, I'll go to the store."_

_"Please. I want some cookies. And chocolate milk."_

_"How 'bout I just give you diabetes now?" He smirked. "One, not both."_

_She glared. "Fine. The cookies."_

_"Good choice." He grabbed his keys. "Get your shoes."_

_"I don't wanna go."_

_"Why not?"_

_"'Cause my show's on soon, and it's a new. You never leave me alone with Joe, ever." She met his eyes. "You don't trust him."_

_Not with you. "Maybe I just want you to come with me," he argued._

_"Ugh." She shook her head. "You have to give people a chance, Daddy. Be nice. You told me that. Listen to yourself. Please, I don't wanna go. The truck smells like fish."_

_He groaned. "If anythin' happens, call. You know how."_

_"Please, I'm six, not dead."_

_"Almost six." He smiled. "A small chocolate milk."_

_She smiled back. "Thanks."_

_He kissed the top of her head. "Behave." He looked at his father as he said it, seeing the man stumbling down the hall from exhaustion instead of intoxication. He ruffled Ella's hair then left the house. He climbed into the truck that did smell like fish and took one last look at the house before leaving._

_––_

_Ella watched the new episode of her favorite TV show while her grandfather—Joe—wandered the house, looking for something. She hugged Celia to her chest, knowing her dad wouldn't approve, but she loved to hold and hug everything. She wanted to hug her grandfather, but he was grumpy all the time. He used a lot of bad words, and Daddy used some to tell him to stop too. She didn't like how her dad was when her grandpa was around. It made her sad._

_Joe grabbed a coat and slipped into it, opening the front door, and Ella called to him. "What?"_

_"Where are you going?" She stood up and walked over to him._

_"None of your damn business."_

_"Are you leaving?"_

_"Yes."_

_"What about me?"_

_"Go play with matches for all I care." He left the house and left the door ajar._

_She frowned then saw Celia hopping toward the door. "Wait, we're not allow outside!" She hurried to catch her pet, but Celia wanted to be outside. Ella didn't want to break her dad's rules, but she didn't want to lose Celia, so she ran after her. "Celia!"_

_For a bunny that did nothing but lie about, she could really run when she wanted to. Ella could see the end of the driveway, and she ran faster, knowing cars drove by from time to time. Daddy never let come outside alone, and he never let her near the road. She had to hurry. She didn't want Celia to get in trouble with Daddy._

_Catching up to the bunny who seemingly ran out of energy, Ella smiled and bent down to pick her up. She hugged Celia close and caught her breathe, turning to head back to the house. She put one foot forward and then there was a hazy of lights and a honking horn._


	11. You

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing._**

––

Daryl saw a mess of cars blocking his road. It was strange. No one ever came out this way, which was why he bought that house in the first place. He got out to see what was going on, seeing some cops and an ambulance. He walked faster, his heart beginning to race, and his eyes fell on Rick Grimes, a cop who Daryl knew through the shelter through Jeanette, covered in blood, the blue of his eyes bright from the red that rimmed them. He was wracking his hands through his hair, the pain in his eyes evident. Daryl's heart dropped, but his legs still carried him toward the cops and ambulance.

"Daryl." Rick quickly ran over to him, Daryl tried to get by him, but Rick didn't let him. "No, stop."

"Get off! Get off of me!" Daryl growled, trying to get through, to see who exactly was hurt, but Rick was stronger than he looked. Daryl could see blood on the road, and he couldn't look away from it. It was still fresh, and he could see a trail of steps leading away, but they weren't from a person, just a bunny. Their bunny. _Celia. _He knew that if Celia was outside then that blood could only belong to his baby girl.

"No, you don't want to see this. You don't want to see this." Rick spoke through clenched teeth, trying to keep him back. "Get in the ambulance."

He struggled even more when his eyes landed on his little girl being lifted up in to the ambulance, unconscious and bloody, a mask over her mouth, a brace around her neck, her skin so pale and dead as opposed to the lively, red blood that ran down her temple. Tears burned in his eyes as let out an agonized whimper, everything in his entire body shutting down yet at the same time it was waking up. His heart was being crushed with an unyielding pressure that consumed him. His legs were trying to move, but his bones felt like putty. Everything was crystal clear in front of him, but at the same time it was a foggy mess, and it didn't make any sense. How was any of this happening? He was only gone for forty-five minutes. If he had been here sooner, if he had not stopped, he would have been there for her. He would have been able to stop her.

_**If you must wait, wait for them here in my arms as I shake**_

And Rick finally let him go. Daryl stumbled but he made his way to the ambulance. The doors were open in front of him, though he didn't enter. The paramedics spoke to him, but he couldn't stop staring at his little girl. It was odd, because she was his baby girl and yet she wasn't. She looked just like her, but he felt as if it wasn't her. Why did he feel this way? Did that mean she was already dead? Dying? Her life wasn't in there or was slipping away, and he could feel it? Rick told them to go, and Daryl climbed inside to be with her. His eyes burned, feeling a tingling wave of numb pain coursing through his shoulders and done his spine, causing him to inhaled sharply.

_**If you must weep, do it right here in my bed as I sleep**_

Her dark messy hair was tangled with blood, there was bruising all over her small face, splatted here and there as if someone took ink and dropped it over her face, letting it roll across her nose, down her cheeks, her nose and around her eyes. Blood soaked through her favorite pair of overralls, and Daryl could see the design that was on the bumper of the car on her shoulder. She was a bloody, broken little thing. He didn't know what to do. What could he do? What could he possibly do to make this all better? To make her well again?

_**If you must mourn, my love, mourn with the moon and the stars up above**_

––

He had to wait outside, because she needed surgery. His little girl, who had never even gotten so much as a shot, needed surgery. He couldn't even function, and he didn't hear a single word anyone said to him. He just kept staring at the doors they led Ella through and wracked his hands through his hair. He didn't know what was going to happened. He didn't even know how this happened. One minute he was just getting food, getting those coconut cookies Ella loved so much, and the next he might go home alone and having no one to give those cookies too. He should have made her go with him. He should have insisted. He was being too kind, and she was in fucking surgery!

_**If you must mourn, my love, mourn with the moon and the stars up above**_

Daryl ran a hand down his face and saw Merle rush in. He stood up and met his brother halfway. Merle had heard about what happened, and he came to see Daryl first. He wanted to know how the little potato was doing. It wasn't looking good apparently, and Merle could see how this was killing Daryl. They weren't talking to him, and Merle had seen Alyssa when he entered. Even if Ella made it out of surgery, Daryl might never see her again. Alyssa could smell blood, and when she did, she always won. That bitch had no idea what happened, how it happened, and Merle knew exactly where to go for information and revenge.

_**If you must mourn, don't do it alone**_

Daryl tried to stop him, but Merle wasn't going to let it go. Their asshole waste of a father left that little girl by herself—a goddamn five year old—and she went outside, chasing Celia or maybe just playing, and she was hit by a car. A car that was being driven by a man who didn't feel the need to follow the speed limit, because they were no cops around and he was in a rush. Merle didn't know who the man was or where he could find the man, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt where to find that son of a bitch. He would make him pay for every second Ella was in surgery, for every second Ella was in pain before that man came to and called for help. He would make him suffer for all of Daryl's suffering, and he would make him suffer like he had made him suffer growing up. He might just kill him and call it a day.

_**If you must leave, leave as though fire burns under your feet**_

Daryl watched his brother leave, but as much as he wanted to stop him—help him even—his feet wouldn't allow him to leave the hospital, leave her. He had to be there for her when she woke up. He had to see to her. He had to tell her how much he loved her and how he would protect her. He would keep her safe. He had to be there. He would read to her and tell her stupid jokes like they always did. Those stupid punny jokes she loved so much. He would listen to every one. Every single one, even though he hated those jokes and wanted to burn any books she brought home that helped her make them.

After more hours rolled by, Daryl saw Celia's mother lingering in the hall, wiping tears from her eyes. He went to her, clenching his jaw and wanting to know why that bitch was here. She had no right to his daughter. Her tears weren't needed and her presence wasn't wanted.

_**If you must speak, speak every word as though it were unique**_

"What the hell are you doin' here?" he growled.

"I heard about the accident," her voice was bitter and full of hate. "How could you be so foolish? So selfish!"

"Selfish? That's rich comin' from you, you ol' bitch."

They began to verbally attack each other, having hate since they met a long time ago. Daryl couldn't stand the sight of her. She was a bitch, and she was the reason his daughter was dumped on his doorstep. She was the reason Celia begged to see Ella so much. She wouldn't even let Celia see her own damn baby. She just took her and dumped her at his doorstep. He forgave Celia a long time ago, but not this selfish old prune. She was probably the reason Celia wanted to die and not fight. He would make sure she had no right to even see Ella from a distance. She was not family to him or Ella. She never would be.

"Celia trusted you to do one thing!" she shouted. "One thing, and you couldn't even do that! You had one fuckin' job, you son of a bitch! Keep her alive, and you couldn't even do that!" She shoved him hard, drawing the attention of the people around them. "Celia must be crying in her grave."

His heart stopped. "What?"

"Celia died last year." She held back tears. "And now my grandbaby is dead too, thanks to you. She was all Celia left behind in this world. It should have been me. I should have been the one to take care of her." She sobbed. "It should be me on that slab, not her. Not my precious grandbaby."

_**If you must die, sweetheart, die knowing your life was my life's best part**_

Daryl couldn't breathe. His entire world just went dark, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. All of the sounds around him simply didn't exist, all of the people didn't exist, and blackness surrounded him. His heart was being ripped out of his chest, but it didn't even hurt. The pain he felt was so great that he didn't have the room for it in his body just yet. He knew he would feel it later, in small douses leading up to a moment when everything was just...black and cold and cruel, just like his childhood. For now, all he could feel was part of himself dying, and he knew that part would never be returned to him. All of what little hope and happiness he could ever hope to have was gone. All of the laughter and corny bad jokes meant nothing. They were nothing. He was nothing. Everything...was nothing. His world just lost all of its light, possibly forever.

_**If you must die, remember your life**_

"_What did the mermaid wear to her math class?"_

"_I dunno, kid. What?"_

"_An algea-bra!"_

"_Stop._

"_It's funny!"_

"_It's terrible!"_

"_**Mmm...Daddy?"**_

"_**Yeah?"**_

"_**I love you."**_

_**He smiled. "I love you too. Sleep, sweetheart."**_

_**She smiled and closed her eyes.**_

"_Do we have to go?"_

"_Yes, we have to go."_

_She groaned. "Why?"_

"_'Cause we made plans. When you make plans, you keep 'em."_

"_But did we have to leave so early? I'm tired, Daddy!"_

"_Then take a nap, and stop yellin'. I can hear you just fine."_

_She glared. "I'm hungry."_

"_Here." He opened the glove compartment and handed her a candy bar. "We'll get somethin' later. Right now, we can't stop."_

"_I like Kit-Kats."_

"_Oh, well."_

"_This sucks." _

"_I love you too." She stuck her tongue out, and he smirked. "Eat."_

"_**Do you know which to get?" Daryl asked Merle when they went shopping for diapers for Ella. Merle was uncomfortable as hell, and Daryl was trying to figure out the difference in brands and types. He didn't know which was best, but he did know he might have to sell his organs on the black market to pay for this shit. Christ, it's a baby, not a fuckin' prize fighter. **_

"_**Let's just get somethin' and get the hell outta here." He didn't like how women were looking at them.**_

"_**What if she's allergic to somethin' in 'em? That happens sometimes, right?"**_

"_**I'm waitin' in the car. I didn't sign up for this." He walked out of the store and reached for his flask as he headed to the car.**_

"_**May I help you?" a saleswoman asked.**_

"_**Which is better?" Honestly, he didn't even care if he looked ridiculous. He just wanted to make sure Ella had the best, and he had no fucking clue what the difference was. He didn't remembered what Maggie had told him about when her kid sister was a baby. He blocked her out. He wouldn't do that next time.**_

_**She smiled. "Here, let me help you. I'm Lilly."**_

"_**Daryl."**_

"_**Well, Daryl, first congratulations."**_

"_**Uh...thanks."**_

"_Can I use this?" Ella tried to pick up his crossbow, but it was too big. _

"_Ella!" He dropped what he was holding and ran over to her, grabbing the crossbow. "Don't ever do that again!"_

"_I—I'm sorry." Tears filled her eyes at his tone. _

"_It's not all right. This ain't a toy. You could get hurt. Just leave it alone."_

"_I'm sorry, Daddy."_

_He sighed. "Just don't mess with this. I'll teach you one day, okay?"_

_She sniffed and nodded. "Promise?"_

"_'Course, kiddo." He smiled, and she smiled back a little. "How 'bout we make you one?"_

"_Okay."_

"_Okay."_

"_**Ella?" Daryl poked his head into her room and smiled at the sight of her passed out, cuddling her stuffed owl, Spells. He kissed her temple. "Good night. I love you."**_

"_**Daddy?" **_

"_**Shh, back to sleep."**_

"_**Daddy...I lo..." She softly exhaled, falling back to sleep.**_

_**You are, you are**_

_**Oh, you are, you are**_

_**Oh**_

"_Daddy...I lo..." "Daddy...I lo...""Daddy...I lo...""Daddy...I lo...""Daddy...I lo...""Daddy...I lo...""Daddy...I lo...""Daddy...I lo...""Daddy...I lo...""Daddy...I lo...""Daddy...I lo...""Daddy...I lo..."_ He would never hear the end of that sentence. He would never hear the end of many sentences. He would never see her graduate. He would never see her go to prom. He would never see her with her friends. He would never get to hassle any man who wanted to marry her. He would never see his first grandchild. So many nevers when only hours ago they were so many evers, many she never ever got to think. _If I ever see Santa, I'm gonna ask to see a reindeer. Then the elves and North Pole. If I ever rule the world, you're my person. If I ever get wings, who can teach me to fly?** If I ever get married, if I ever go to prom, if I ever use your crossbow, if I ever get those wings, if I write a book on puns, if I use my crossbow better than you yours and so many more.**_

_**If you must fight, fight with yourself and your thoughts in the night**_

_**If you must work, work to leave some part of you on this earth**_

When Daryl woke up in the hospital the next morning, he was informed of what happened, but only collected bits and pieces. He had been sedated almost immediately after speaking with Ella's mother. He just went into a frenzy, they told him. He didn't care about the details. All he really was focused on was the fact that he was no longer a father. The most important job he ever had, the job he loved the most, the job he hoped never ended...he failed at. Ella was gone. Dead and gone. Yet there he sat, alive. Why?

_**If you must live, darling one, just live. Just live. **_

_**Just live**_

– – –

Daryl jolted awake, disoriented, and his eyes landed on Sophia and Carol sleeping who were sleeping his couch with a blanket over them. Carol had her arms around Sophia, and they were sleeping peacefully. He shook his head and saw the fire was burning low. He fed it and stood up, checking on the time. It was late, and the rain had stopped. The power was even back on. He must have fallen asleep while Sophia was talking to them about something.

He hated that nightmare. He hated it so fucking much. It was always in pieces, always creeping up on him, always dragging him down. Sometimes, he didn't know what was real in the nightmare. Sometimes he wondered if it that version actually happened. All he knew was he had been sedated, his daughter was gone, and he didn't even know where she was buried. All because of that bitch. He hated Celia's mom. Because of her he didn't even know where to find her grave to leave her flowers or to mourn. All he had were the items that keep popping up here and there. God damn it, he hated sleeping sometimes. It made him wonder too much. Part of him always felt like she was still alive, just hidden from him. It as that last damn thread of hope, shining in the dark, pissing him off.

He returned to the living room, and Carol was waking. "Hey." He sat on the couch. "Good nap?"

"My neck is a little stiff." She inhaled. "You?"

He scoffed to himself, taking a seat. "Sure."

"What time is it?" She tried to sit up, but Sophia was nestled into her, preventing any real movement. "It stopped raining?"

"Yeah. It's ten till nine."

"Nine?" She groaned. "Oh, God. We need to get home."

"Your clothes are done. They're still in the dryer."

"I know, but thank you." Sophia had changed back into her shorts and socks, but left on the shirt Daryl gave her, because it was warmer. Carol had put her pants back on as well, and her shirt wasn't dry, nor was the hoodie so she started the dryer again. She moved hair out of Sophia's face and smiled a little. She was sleeping deeply, so it would be easy to move her. She wasn't sure if she could move Sophia, though. She was small, but she was sleeping against Carol in a way that made it impossible for Carol to move even her toe without disturbing her. She would definitely need help. "Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you do be a favor?"

"Depends on what it is."

"Gently picking up Sophia so I can stand up."

"Oh, yeah." He stood up and moved the blanket off Carol and Sophia, Carol rolled her carefully onto her back so Daryl could grip her shoulders, and he slid his arm under her knees and picked her up. He stepped back, giving Carol the room to stand up, and he set Sophia back down on the couch.

Carol went down to the basement and gathered their remaining clothes, Daryl handed her a bag for them, and they headed back upstairs once she had folded them and put them into the bag. Carol saw her shoes were a muddy mess and so were Sophia's, and Daryl got another bag for Sophia's shoes. Carol went outside and scrapped the mud off with a stick as best she could then put her shoes on.

"Daryl?" She leaned into the house, her feet firmly planted outside, not wanting to drag in mud. "Daryl?" She kept her voice low as to not wake Sophia.

"Is there a reason you're whisperin'?" He exited his bedroom.

"My daughter."

"Right." He met her eyes. "What'd you want?"

"I don't want to drag mud into your house, and I don't want to wake Sophia; could you carry her over to me? You know how light she is, and I can take her from the doorway."

He scooped the young girl up, she snuggled closer to his chest, perhaps thinking it was her mother, and he carried her over to the door. Carol was ready to take her, but he shook his head. "It's fine. I got her." It was also still muddy, and he didn't want her to trip and hurt herself or Sophia. He took her to the car and set her in the backseat then closed the door softly. He looked over at Carol and gave her a nod. "Good night. Uh, drive safe."

"I will." She opened the car door and her eyes moved to his. "Have a good night too." She paused before getting into the car and met him at the door. "Hey, do you have plans Saturday?"

"No. I might get called in for work, but other than that I don't know so. Why?"

"Well, my sister and...her friend are dragging me to a bar for drinks. Would you like to come?"

"To a bar with your sister and her friend?"

"And me. I'll be there as well." Sophia would be spending some time with Beth, or maybe Carol would drop her off at Karen's so she can spend time with her cousin. She wasn't sure. Sophia was in a lot of trouble, and she still had to talk to the principal. She would deal with that headache later. She had to speak with Hershel before the night was over. He was probably reading in the den at this hour with Annette. "And if that doesn't sound like fun, we'll probably have to drag them out of the bar. We may even have to drive them home. Well, Karen at least."

He let out a small, breath-y chuckle. "How can I say no to that?"

"Easily."

He smiled a little and stepped back towards his house. "I might drop by."

"If you can't, I'll understand." She smiled a little then turned and left.

He tapped his fingers against the doorknob then headed inside. There was only one bar worth going to in this town, so he didn't have to ask where. It was an invitation he wasn't expecting to get, least of all from Carol. It was a surprise, but he might just stop by.

– – –

"Is this the part where you tell me why you changed your mind or should I start guessing? Because I have to clean today, and the sooner I start, the sooner I'll finish."

"Clean? You're cleaning at this hour?"

"Yes, I am."

"I bet you're sitting on your couch with your feet up drinking red wine and watching some old romantic comedy while thinking about how much longer you can put off laundry."

"Where are you?"

She laughed. "At work." She glanced over her shoulder as Sophia played with one of the dogs that was being boarded here. "With Sophia."

"Why isn't she in school? What did I miss?"

Carol explained what happened between Molly and Sophia, and Sophia leaving school grounds and then their meeting with the principal that morning. Speaking to Hershel was easier. Sophia was silent through almost the entire meeting, and when she did speak, it was very soft. She didn't really meet the principal's eyes either, but luckily she wasn't too much trouble. However since both Beth and Maggie had school, and Carol didn't want Sophia running around the farm, she brought her with her. Annette was busy with errands, and Patricia and Otis had plans, otherwise Sophia would be at home with them.

"Well, that's good. She can at least make up her work, right?"

"Yeah. She's doing it tonight. There are too many distractions here, and we left all her work at home and didn't realize it until we were here. I wasn't going to waste the gas."

"Ah, I see. Why don't you bring her over here tomorrow? I work from the house, so I'll be here all day. Plus, Maddie would love to see Sophia again."

"I'll think about it."

"Speaking of thinking about it, did you decide to come with us? Say yes, please say yes, because I need to talk to you face to face."

"I am coming. I already told you I was. Calm down."

"I know, but I just wanted to make sure."

"Uh-huh. How much did you get?"

"Twenty bucks."

"You're paying for my drinks then."

"'S'?"

"Fine, drink."

"No, s is fine. It's better than fine, it's great. Wear something nice."

"What do I normally wear?"

"Dark and depressing colors."

"Fine, I'll be sure to leave my hump and wart at home."

"Carol, I didn't mean it like that."

"You're still an asshole."

"But I'm your favorite asshole."

"I have to get to work. Have fun, and please, please clean your house. I remember what your bedroom used to look like."

"I was expressing myself. Besides, when it was clean, I couldn't find anything. I had a system."

"If that's what you call it."

"It is. Now, I love you and I will see you on Saturday."

"Mmm'kay, I love you too. Saturday." She hung up and shook her head. Carol stepped out of the back about to return to her weekly count of medical supplies for the animals when she heard the sound of loud barking and a struggle and yelling. She saw what was causing the commotion, and it was a dog. It was a really large dog. "Sophia." She motioned for her to get back as Hershel and a police officer struggled to get the dog into the building. She watched as they took the dog to the very back, Carol held Sophia back, and after a few minutes, Hershel and that officer returned.

"What was that about?" Carol asked.

"She's a really strong dog." Hershel was a bit winded. "It's a Belgian Shepard, I believe."

"It's so cute." Sophia tried to move toward it, but Carol didn't let her.

"Are you two all right?" She glanced between them. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Speak for yourself," the officer mused.

Hershel smirked. "Carol, this is Rick Grimes. Rick, this is Carol and Sophia."

"Well, I've heard of this one from Carl." He smiled and shook their hands. "It's nice to meet you, Carol."

"It's nice to meet you too." She offered him a smile then shifted her attention to Hershel. "Hershel?"

"Yes?"

"Whose dog is that?"

"We don't know yet, but we'll find out."

Sophia looked up at her mom. "Can I see the dog? Once it's calm, I mean."

"No, I don't want either of you near her," Hershel to Sophia and Carol politely, but meaning every word. "She's not at all nice, and she doesn't really like children either. Or men. Promise me you won't go near that dog, Sophia."

Sophia nodded, slightly disappointed. "I promise."

"Good. If you'll excuse me, I need to wash my hands."

"Go sit in the back." Carol gave her a gentle push then walked Rick out, making sure he was all right since he was the one really guiding the dog.

"I'm fine, but thank you for your concern." He smiled then gave a nod and left.

Carol closed the door and turned around, her back resting against the door and her eyes immediately landing on the door that led to the new dog. She pushed off the door and walked toward to the back, pressing her lips together then made sure Hershel wasn't around. She opened the door just a little and saw the dog in a kennel. She stopped whatever she was doing and stared back at Carol for a minute then began to growl and bark, lunging at her in the kennel. She shut the door and walked away.

She didn't need to promise she won't go near that dog, that was for sure.


End file.
